Q: What is the bank’s corporate strategy for 2021/22?
A: DFCC Bank’s 2021/22 plan is based on our five year strategy for 2020-2025 with the aim of making it one of the most customer centric and digitally enabled banks by 2025.

Our lending plans will align with the government’s budget proposals to facilitate the growth of the identified key sectors, which includes continuing to expand lending facilities to both SMEs and large corporates. Additionally, our digital products such as Virtual Wallet and DFCC Pay will enable us to provide uninterrupted services to customers even during lockdowns.

In 2022, we also plan to introduce banking approaches that offer unparalleled experiences to enhance the customer journey along with digitalised internal workflows and automated processes.

Q: How is the bank planning for the medium term given the ‘new normal’ era?
A: As a bank with a young and energetic workforce, we’re agile and mobile. This enabled our team to provide uninterrupted services to customers with minimum disruptions in the new normal.

We also plan to further expand our lending to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) segment and meet Central Bank of Sri Lanka priority sector lending targets, by maximising available credit lines and arranging concessionary funding lines.

DFCC Pinnacle, DFCC Prestige and Salary Partner are new product propositions we’ve introduced while also attracting many overseas special deposits under the deposit scheme established by the Central Bank.

Meanwhile, we’re aggressively marketing the DFCC credit card, and will also facilitate solar loans under an Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Sri Lanka sponsored schemeWe will continue our longtime focus on renewable energy financing under a broad sustainable financing programme.

Q: What is your take of the ongoing vaccination programme and how critical is it to DFCC Bank’s prospects this year?
A: The vaccination programme is critical for the bank and our stakeholders. The first round of vaccinations was limited to selected segments and specific age groups. Therefore, the majority of our employees weren’t eligible since they don’t fall into the above 30 years segment.

Vaccinating banking sector staff is essential if we are to move forward despite the third wave of COVID-19. As front line workers, they are vulnerable but their services are vital to ensure a smooth flow of activities and avoid any economic setbacks.

In my capacity as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA), we have proposed that the government prioritise vaccinating banking staff and expect a positive response from the authorities to expedite the vaccination drive.