Every year, a significant number of Sri Lankans migrate to foreign countries for employment, searching for better opportunities to build a better future for their loved ones. Many of these, employed in the Middle East, attend to the needs of their loved ones at home from the country of their employment, making sure that their hard work pays off well with a brighter future. In consequence, this expatriate workforce has been a great contributor to the economy of Sri Lanka with an estimated 1.7 million Sri Lankans employed abroad bringing in approximately US $ 7 billion a year.  
Sampath Remittances Senior Manager Kusal De Silva said, “As a national bank, it is our bounden duty to give back to the expatriate workforces who not only strive effortlessly to be the breadwinner of the family but also greatly contribute to the economic welfare of Sri Lanka. Many of these individuals who migrate to foreign countries looking for financial stability often come from the blue collar category and are constantly faced with various challenges in trying to help their families live a better life. As such, Sampath e-Remittance was set up.” 
Sampath e-Remittance is a secure and instant online money transfer platform that enables the expat workforce to remit money to their families via Sampath Bank. This facility provides beneficiaries with the convenience of receiving money either over the counter with the submission of a PIN number sent to their mobile or by simply having the money credited into their Sampath account. In addition, Sampath e-Remittance has also introduced a unique service known as Mobile Cash, which enables beneficiaries to receive money with the simple process of entering their ID number and PIN number via Sampath ATM network. 
Speaking on the concept of being more than just a bank, De Silva emphasized on the teams’ wholehearted dedication to ensure that the expat workforce and their families receive utmost welfare. He added on to say, “Sampath e-Remittance officers work under a genuine and unscripted policy of not turning down any customer as they are dedicated to being all about the people. The team aspires to understand customers and provide them with utmost assistance, solutions and advice to further ease their difficulties and take them a step closer to achieving their goals and dreams in life.” 
Sampath Bank has constantly brought about offers that have provided customers with premium benefits and rewards. As such, Sampath e-Remittance launched a unique and successful promotion known as Sampath Cash Wasi, which is open to the expat workforces who use the Sampath e-Remittance facility. The significance of this promotion is that one lucky customer stands a chance of winning a grand cash prize of Rs.1 million while three other lucky winners will also be rewarded with a cash prize of Rs.100,000 each upon the completion of a grand raffle draw. Additionally, customers also stand a chance in winning prizes, which include household items such as televisions, Home Theatre Systems, washing machines, Hi-Fi Stereo Systems and refrigerators.  
“Cash Wasi provides customers a good opportunity to win valuable cash prizes and electrical and household items. Cash Wasi saw tremendous success in the last two years that it brought about a doubled customer base. As a result, we decided to conduct the grand promotion for the third time this year. Winning these cash prizes is considered a great deal for expat workforce as this large sum of money can provide them with the much-needed lead to achieve some of their objectives for going abroad for employment,” said Kusal.
Sampath e-Remittance has not only enriched the lives of its customers through innovative banking facilities, but has also successfully carried out initiatives to teach and educate customers on various methods that would help them save money in a sustainable manner as well as make financially-related decisions efficiently.
These initiatives together with Sampath Bank’s unwavering efforts to provide premium services and facilities coupled with innovative technology strongly justify De Silva’s concluding statement - “We are all about the people. We are all about the community. We understand their aspirations and problems. Therefore, we are dedicated to bearing the responsibility of taking care of our customers who greatly contribute to the country and deserve a prosperous future.”