HSBC and People’s Bank support procurement of first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Thursday, 11 March 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

HSBC joined People’s Bank in assisting the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to slowdown the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the country’s return to normalcy.

The trade loan extended by HSBC to People’s Bank supported the import of 500,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Sri Lanka.

“We are very proud to partner with the People’s Bank with whom we have had a longstanding relationship spanning multiple decades, in this national drive to control the spread of COVID-19. A successful and timely vaccination program is critical for improving mobility of our economically active population, which in turn will help strengthen the country’s economic sentiment as Sri Lanka looks to build back stronger,” HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives CEO Mark Prothero said.

Currently, the vaccine is being rolled out in areas most affected by the second wave of COVID-19. According to HSBC Global Research, Sri Lanka is among the top three countries in Asia in terms of vaccines administered per capita.