Ide Yuri, Senior Representative, JICA; Yamada Tetsuya, HNB Deputy General, Chief Representative, JICA; Damith Pallewatte, Manager – Wholesale Banking Group, HNB; and Natasha Hay, Head of Institutional Banking, HNB.
HNB has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Through the partnership, JICA, Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) executing agency, will leverage its experience as a long-standing development partner to the island nation and HNB’s broad expertise and island-wide branch and customer network to solve social issues by enhancing economic development and poverty alleviation and driving socially responsible, environmentally sustainable finance. The partnership will help focus resources on agriculture, dairy production, value chain financing, women’s entrepreneurship development, MSME development and digital transformation. Moreover, the collaboration will also prioritize investments into enterprises and initiatives with the potential to support mitigation and adaptation to global climate change and other critical social protection services.
“HNB is honoured to partner with JICA to support a sustainable, inclusive, grassroots-led revival of the Sri Lankan economy. The close friendship and shared respect between Japan and Sri Lanka have always been a source of strength for our nation. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to JICA for partnering with HNB in our shared mission to drive progress on sustainable development, enhance livelihoods, and modernize our nation’s economy from the grassroots up,” said Jonathan Alles, MD/ CEO of HNB.
Tetsuya Yamada, Office Chief Representative, JICA Sri Lanka, said: “With this partnership, we will be able to expand our reach to more people, providing greater benefits and a stronger development impact through HNB’s wide network and expertise, which JICA alone could never do. Particularly, an incremental effect is expected to empower those people and enterprises who struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Through our joint efforts, we can help them overcome their difficulties and return to a growth trajectory.”
