HNB joins CBSL to promote ‘Rata Purama LANKAQR’ campaign in Kandy

April 26, 2021 April 26, 2021

HNB PLC once again joined the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to promote the ‘Rata Purama LANKAQR’ campaign to raise awareness and encourage the public in the Kandy district towards a cashless payment ecosystem.

HNB, together with other financial institutions and telecommunication partners, participated in the day-long event held at the Kandy City Center. The bank raised awareness regarding its LANKAQR integrated HNB SOLO payment app while onboarding merchants during the promotional campaign.

HNB SOLO team with a merchant at the launch of the “Rata Purama LANKAQR’ campaign in Kandy.

“During the early stages of the pandemic we witnessed many of our customers and members of the public seamlessly adopt our cashless and contactless payment app HNB SOLO. With COVID and the subsequent launch of the ‘Rata Purama LANKAQR’ campaign the number of users of these types of systems have increased exponentially.

“Given that the mutual vision of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and HNB is for a financially and technologically empowered Sri Lanka, HNB is proud to serve as an enthusiastic partner to roll out LANKAQR island-wide. The fact that we now have merchants in the cultural capital of Sri Lanka making this shift is another major milestone in this digitalization journey,” HNB Deputy General Manager – Retail and SME Banking, Sanjay Wijemanne said.

During the campaign, HNB also raised awareness regarding SOLO’s many facilities, including zero physical contact and increased efficiency on all transactions. Since its launch in 2019, SOLO has witnessed a consistently growing customer base. HNB continuously works to improve the app’s features and functionality by refining its user interface, enabling customers to experience intuitive, easy-to-use and versatile QR- based payments.

Officially launched in Matale last year, the ‘Rata Purama LANKAQR’ campaign has held promotional events in Colombo and Galle. The QR- based system allows banks, financial institutions and telecommunication service providers to facilitate fast, secure and affordable digital payments to any merchant or service provider through their digital payment app or platform.

LANKA QR is a common Quick Response (QR) code standard developed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

With 252 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. Over the recent past, the bank was ranked among the World Top 1,000 Banks list compiled by the prestigious UK-based Banker Magazine. HNB has a national rating of AA- (lka) by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd.

HNB was also declared Best Sub-Custodian Bank in Sri Lanka at the Global Finance Awards 2020, in addition to winning the coveted Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka Award for the 11th time at the Asian Banker Awards 2020, in recognition of its sustainable growth and continuous improvements in processes, products and services amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment.