Bank of Ceylon Signs a MoU to Grow a Hundred Hectare Forest in Galoya as “BOC Haritha Arana”.

On part of assisting the improving forest cover up to 32% in Sri Lanka by the year 2020 on accord with the agreement made with the United Nations to assist global climate change, the Bank of Ceylon has formulated a project to reforest a hundred hectare in Galoya Forest Reserve in stretch close to Habarana Colombo-Trincomalee main road. The Bank has signed a MoU with Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry and the Forest Department on September 5th 2019 at the Sobhadam Piyasa Battaramulla. This important event took place in the presence of the State Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry Hon. Ajith Mannaperruma. The Bank of Ceylon’s Chairman, President’s Counsel Mr. Ronald C. Perera and CEO/ General Manager Mr. Senarath Bandara, DGM Sales and Channel Management Mr.C. Amarasinghe, DGM Retail Banking (Range 1 and Range 2) Mr. E.M. Jayaratne, represented the Bank and Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment Mr.Anura DIssanayake, State Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment Mr. MPDUK Mapa Pathirana and Conservator General, Department of Forest Conservation Mr. WAC Weragoda.


The Galoya Forest Reserve altogether owns a 14,000 hectare grounds of which almost 6000 hectare has been deforested due to various reasons. Bank of Ceylon ensures that this project has comprehensively looked into improve this land scale and contribute to improve environment quality of the country. It will eliminate the growth of invasive plants such as Shrub Verbena (Gandapana), Speer grass (iluk plant) and Ceylon citronella plant (Mana plant), reduce chances of wildfire and the spread of such, will limit feeding cattle inside the forest reserve and will regenerate natural growth of plants that form the forest.

Being a genuinely concerned partner to protect the environment in the country, Bank of Ceylon takes responsibility by actively engaging in causes that delivers sustainably good results for the society, its people and the environment as a whole.