BoC achieves asset base of over Rs 800b

Easily first among local banks in terms of assets

Waruna Padmasiri

“Bank of Ceylon (BoC) is the bank with the best ratings in Sri Lanka with an over Rs 800 billion asset base,” BoC chairman dr Gamini Wickramasinghe told the Daily News. He made these comments after briefing the media on the first ‘premier local centre’ which opened last Wednesday to cater to the needs of high end customers.

The new BoC ‘Premier Centre’ is at 21, Flower Road, Colombo 7 and will provide a personalized service to customers from the moment they enter the centre. As well as regular banking facilities , the ‘Premier Center’ will provide business, investment, tax and legal advice exclusive to its members. A minimum Rs 10 million deposit is required to become a BoC Premier Member.

“This is to prevent overcrowding of centers which will depersonalize the service provided,” Wickramasinghe said. The premier centre which operates during regular banking hours will be open until 5pm from January 2012.

It will provide a 24 hour service eventually. Wickramasinghe said that by mid 2012, six other ‘Premier centres’ will be opened in Anuradhapura, Galle, Kandy, Kilinochchi, Kuliyapitiya and Kurunegala.

Staff at the ‘Premier Centre’ have received special training either in Hong Kong or Bombay.

The centres themselves will be equipped with the latest technology and facilities to maximize the comfort of the customer.

Wickramasinghe said that in addition to the ‘Premier Centres’ the BoC will open 24 Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME) centres, one in each district in 2012. The idea of the SME centres is to provide more comprehensive banking facilities to the SMEs that form the backbone of the economy.

”BoC which has always been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s economic development, with a customer base of over nine million, is ready to advance with the times to lead the country into the 21st century,” Wickramasinghe said.