Bathiya Alahakoon – Senior Vice President (Branch Banking), DFCC Bank, accepting the award on behalf of DFCC Bank. The presentations were made at the Karlsruhe City Hall on 12th July 2018 by Dr. Frank Mentrup (Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe) and Arshad Rab (CEO of the European Organization for Sustainable Development – EOSD)

Recognizing and rewarding DFCC Bank’s success in financing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Sri Lanka, the Global Sustainable Finance Network awarded a Certificate of Merit for ‘Outstanding Sustainable Project Financing’ to DFCC Bank, at the Global Sustainable Finance Awards 2018 held recently at the Karlsruhe City Hall, Germany. By being bestowed with the Certificate of Merit for ‘Financing MSME Projects’, DFCC Bank, yet again, demonstrates its sustainable corporate strategy.

Bathiya Alahakoon – Senior Vice President (Branch Banking), DFCC Bank, received the award on behalf of the Bank. The annual Global Sustainable Finance Conference was also held concurrently in Karlsruhe, at which Bathiya Alahakoon delivered a presentation on “Financing Enterprises for a Sustainable Sri Lanka”. More than 100 delegates from over 30 organizations in Asia, Africa and Europe participated in the conference.

Commenting on the accolade, the CEO of DFCC Bank, Lakshman Silva said, “We are honoured to be awarded the prestigious Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Award for the sixth consecutive year. DFCC Bank has a proven track record in offering financial solutions to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Sri Lanka, and these services are offered through every branch located across the country. The Bank extends MSME lending in reflection of our values to uplift this sector and encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst Sri Lankans. DFCC Bank is pleased to have its sustainable commitment being recognized and rewarded on a global platform and is inspired to remain focused on uplifting this sector which is so crucial for Sri Lanka’s sustainable economic growth.”

The Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Award honours financial institutions and organizations that have made significant contributions to the field of sustainable finance and the award winners were financial institutions that have successfully embedded economic, social and environmental sustainability into their business, and have made outstanding contributions in the field of sustainable finance. The Karlsruhe Award also seeks to promote the growth of sustainable financial instruments and markets worldwide particularly in the fields of green finance and investments, financial inclusion and social finance, green equity and venture capital and holistic integration of sustainability in financial services institutions.

DFCC Bank PLC is also a part of the joint initiative by the Sri Lanka Banks Association (SLBA) to promote best practices in sustainable finance in Sri Lanka. With a rapidly expanding network and service points in Sri Lanka, the Bank is committed to creating financial inclusivity across the country, to enable all Sri Lankans to access financial services customised to their needs and aspirations.