Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association elects new office bearers

President Priyantha Dematagoda

The Annual General Meeting of the Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association (LMFPA) was held online via Zoom for the first time on 14 September and a new board of Directors was appointed. Priyantha Dematagoda was

unanimously elected as the new President while Imran Nafeer (of Muslim Aid Micro Credit Guarantee Ltd.) was elected as the Secretary and Wasantha Gunawardena (of People’s Micro-Commerce) was elected as the Treasurer of LMFPA for the year 2021/2022.

The LMFPA is the representative body of the microfinance practitioners of Sri Lanka. LMFPA was initiated in 2006, and registered as an association in year 2007 envisions a ‘Dynamic and sustainable microfinance network for an inclusive financial system in Sri Lanka,’ with the mission of “contributing to the development of sustainable microfinance service by, supporting all the stakeholders in the sector and creating a conducive environment through collective action in an effective and efficient manner”. Currently there are 53 organisations which are members of LMFPA.   

Newly-elected President Dematagoda is a senior banking professional with over 25 years of experience in the private banking sector in Sri Lanka. He served on the lecture panels of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and Central Bank Training Centre and is a trainer in banking at many Government and private sector banks. 

He is presently the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of a leading microfinance company, Sewa Community Credit Ltd., and has served on the LMFPA Board in various capacities for the last five years. He succeeds an eminent microfinance specialist, Anura Attapattu, CEO of Berandiana Microfinance, who completed his mandatory terms as the President of LMFPA.   Other elected officials are as follows: Immediate Past President – Anura Atapattu of Berendina Micro Investments Co Ltd.; Vice President – Gnanasiri Abeywardena of Dumbara Micro Credit Ltd; Asst. Secretary – Tharanga Ileperuma of Agro Micro Investments Ltd.; and Directors – Victor Ratnayake of Nomic International Ltd., Saman Ranaweera of Ventura Crystal Investments Ltd., Chamika Weerasinghe of Purewin Credit & investments Ltd., Ransith de Mel of Eclof Lanka (Gte) Ltd., Udaya Bandara of Arthavida Intermediary Ltd., Prasad Seneviratne of Silvereen Micro Credit Company Ltd., Bandula Hennadige of South Asia Partnership, Conrad Ranawake of The Institute for the Development of Community Strengths and Felician Jayakody of Lanka Credit & Business Finance Ltd.