Thursday Oct 16, 2025
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
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Visa Sri Lanka Country Manager Avanthi Colombage |
Visa Sri Lanka Country Manager Avanthi Colombage yesterday said the company is deepening its role in supporting Sri Lanka’s digital transformation through major global investments in cybersecurity, enforcement of data standards, and inclusion programs aimed at building trust in digital payments.
She was speaking at the Asian Development Bank’s Serendipity Knowledge Program on Digital Transformation: Cybersecurity and Data Protection for Digital Economy Development held in Colombo in partnership with the Department of National Planning of the Ministry of Finance.
Colombage said Sri Lanka’s digital progress depends on both technological infrastructure and a shift in public trust toward online services.
“There is a need for the culture to change, for culture to adapt a sentiment towards protecting data,” she said.
“But to build that trust and to build that culture, you need to have the infrastructure in place. Sri Lankans tend to trust the banking sector and the payment platforms available to them. But when it comes to government services, getting your ID or doing transactions with local authorities, people still prefer to go in person. They don’t trust the online systems.”
She said the lack of consistency across digital platforms in the public sector has contributed to this hesitation.
“If you look at the platforms that citizens interact with, each one is different from another. There is no consistency, and that creates a trust barrier,” she said.
“The private sector has managed to fix this to a certain extent, and it should in turn support government institutions to develop and be up to standard so that citizens have a safe and convenient way of transacting.”
Outlining Visa’s three key pillars for strengthening cybersecurity and data protection, Colombage said investment, adherence to standards, and advisory support are central to the company’s work in Sri Lanka.
“Visa, in the last couple of years, has spent over $ 12 billion in investment towards cybersecurity and securing data. We have four 24-7 centres that are focused on security, monitoring and alerting any threats,” she said.
She added that Visa ensures its partners, including banks and fintechs, comply with global and local standards such as PCI DSS and ISO to safeguard data.
“We have mastered the art of securing data and are now using that knowledge to support banking partners, governments, and other entities to look at security in a different way,” she said.
Colombage said Visa is also focusing on expanding financial inclusion through education and capacity-building initiatives.
“Our mission is to uplift everyone, everywhere,” she said. “We focus on supporting underserved communities through business skill development, helping women home entrepreneurs run secure and profitable businesses.”
She said Visa recently launched a financial education program in Sri Lanka with SOS Children’s Village to promote safe money management, and is working with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau on SME-focused initiatives.
“There is a very strong role for the private sector to play in ensuring underserved communities are uplifted,” she said.
“Our business is in payments, and we have the experience to help these communities strengthen their financial foundations. That’s something we are committed to continuing.”
