Pan Asia Bank felicitates 25,000th ‘Sammana’ customer

Friday, 22 January 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

G.K.S. Perera, the 25,000th Sammana customer of Pan Asia Bank, receiving the felicitation plaque from the Director General of Pension Sunil Hettiarachchi. Pan Asia Bank Director/CEO Dimantha Seneviratne and Pan Asia Bank Deputy General Manager – Retail Banking and SME Naleen Edirisinghe are also present

Achieving yet another milestone in the banking business, Pan Asia Bank recently welcomed the 25,000th ‘Sammana’ customer, the retired Government pensioner G.K.S. Perera at a special ceremony organised by the bank.

Perera was felicitated by the Director General of pension Sunil Hettiarachchi and the Director/CEO of Pan Asia Bank Dimantha Seneviratne, at this special event held at the Divisional Secretariat’s Office in Homagama.

Pan Asia Bank introduced Sammana, a special loan scheme offered exclusively designed for Government pensioners two years ago becoming the first bank to offer such a loan scheme in Sri Lanka. Since then the product has grown in leaps and bounds offering financial empowerment to a larger retired populace.

In an era where retirees were largely being considered as a liability by the society and overlooked by the financial sector, Pan Asia Bank came forward to offer Sammana loan scheme as a part of its endeavour to offer innovative financial products and also to cater to social segments that could contribute positively towards the country’s economic development.

Pan Asia Bank’s Sammana loan scheme offers loan facilities up to Rs. 1 million with repayment periods of up to seven years for government pensioners as well as for retired Central Bank employees. This loan scheme does not require collaterals as security and the loan amount per applicant is decided based on the monthly pension. For example, a pensioner who earns Rs. 10,000 per month is eligible for a loan of Rs. 315,000.

More than 150 retired Government pensioners participated at this special occasion and were also offered a free eye check-up by Vision Care Opticians who joined hands with Pan Asia Bank to make it a meaningful and a successful event. The participants were also given 10% discount by Vision Care for the spectacles purchased on this day.

Speaking at the ceremony, the 25,000th Sammana customer G.K.S. Perera stated that at a time when she was being overlooked by many financial institutions for credit facilities, Pan Asia Bank came forward to identify her requirements and fulfil them with the Sammana product offering. She also appreciated the warm customer service she received especially as senior citizen who has a tirelessly served the society as a government servant.

Addressing the gathering, Director General of Pensions, Sunil Hettiarachchi commented, “Innovative products like Sammana have created so many opportunities for the retired government servants to be financially independent and operate as active members of the society contributing towards its development.”

Pan Asia Bank PLC Director/CEO Dimantha Seneviratne, Deputy General Manager – Retail Banking and SME Naleen Edirisinghe, Divisional Secretary, Homagama DS office and Pan Asia Bank Homagama Branch Manager Sanjeewani Senevirathna also participated at this event.