JCB International powers LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2023

From left: JCB Card International South Asia (Pvt.) Ltd Deputy Vice President Business Planning Yuta Hashimoto, JCB Co. Limited Global Business Development Department Senior Vice President Yo Sato, JCB Card International South Asia (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director Satoru Mori, JCB International Co. Limited Executive Vice President Head of Global Business Development Headquarters Koya Sakuma, LankaPay Chairman Dr. Kenneth De Zilwa, LankaPay CEO Channa de Silva and JCB International for Sri Lanka Consultant Lakshman Liyanage

JCB International, the Japan-based international card scheme, partnered with LankaPay as the Silver Sponsor of the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2023.
Held at Shangri-la Hotel recently, the LankaPay Technnovation Awards saw an audience of closer to 400 consisting top decision makers of the country’s financial sector, policymakers and government officials. JCB has been associating with this event since its inception in 2017. Organised for the fifth consecutive year, LankaPay Technnovation Awards is the first and only platform that recognises payment technology innovators in the country. Within a short span of time, the event has become the most looked forward to awards competition amongst the banking fraternity and De Facto recognition for the payment technology innovators in the country. 

Speaking of the sponsorship, JCB International Executive Vice President Koya Sakuma stated, “Sri Lanka is a country with great potential and we were honoured to have been selected as the preferred international card scheme towards launching the National Card Scheme of Sri Lanka back in 2017 and provide the technological support towards implementing this initiative of national significance. JCB has been a partner of similar projects in many countries, including India and we truly value partnerships. Our interest in Sri Lanka extends beyond the National Card Scheme to become part of the country’s digitalisation process. It is in this light we see great synergy in this sponsorship, which in turn supports an initiative that recognises the payment technology innovators in the country. This is critical to the development of the digital ecosystem and JCB is truly honoured to have contributed towards Sri Lanka’s digital transformation.”

Welcoming JCB aboard LankaPay CEO Channa de Silva said, “We are indeed delighted to have JCB as a sponsor of LankaPay Technnovation Awards, which is in testament to their commitment towards developing the country’s payment technology landscape. LankaPay shares a strong relationship with JCB since 2017 and we wish to place on record the continuous patronage extended by JCB at LankaPay Technnovation Awards and being a pillar of strength in lifting the profile of this event every year.”

As the national payment network that functions under the guidance and supervision of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, LankaPay has been leading the country’s payment technology innovations since 2002. Providing the much-needed backbone infrastructure to the country’s financial sector, the entity has contributed immensely towards minimising the overall cost structure within the financial sector through a common infrastructure, making digital financial services accessible and affordable to everyone.