• Organised at eight key locations across the island
• Supports 200+ MSMEs with market access through digital payments
• Promotes LANKAQR with exclusive discounts for SOLO users

Strengthening its commitment to economic revival, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, revived the SOLO Avurudu Pola in partnership with over 200 merchants from its extensive Micro, Medium and Small (MSME) portfolio promoting cashless and contactless payments.

Driving digital adoptions and payments among rural businesses, the SOLO Avurudu Pola hosted merchants showcasing their products, from vegetables and fruits to ayurvedic products, flowers, handcrafts, electronic appliances, traditional sweetmeats and brass products at Badulla, Kurunegala, Ampara, Jaffna, Galle, Kandy  Trincomalee and Batticaloa Moreover, HNB strengthened the local digital payment ecosystem with exclusive discounts for its digital payment wallet SOLO users.

The SOLO Avurudu Pola is a greatly anticipated fixture both for HNB, and Sri Lanka’s MSMEs. This event goes beyond a traditional trade fair or market, offering a unique opportunity to support and empower our entrepreneurs. By promoting QR and facilitating cashless payments, we are helping these businesses strengthen their supply chains and compete in an increasingly digital economy. As a bank with a long history of working with MSMEs, we are delighted to participate in this initiative and look forward to continuing to support our entrepreneurs on their journey to success,” HNB Assistant General Manager – Digital Business, Chammika Weerasinghe said.

Launched in 2019, HNB’s flagship digital payments solution SOLO provides the convenience of digital transactions via the adaptable QR code, a more cost-effective option when compared to alternative payment solutions available in the market.

HNB was among the first financial institutions to drive a cashless QR-code-based payment revolution that aims to make mobile phones and digital payments the standard for day-to-day transactions island-wide. Users can make payments via scanning the QR code using SOLO. Upon completion, merchants will receive an instant SMS notification confirming the receipt of payment.

The bank has continuously bolstered SOLO’s features and functionality while refining its user interface to make QR-based payments intuitive, easy to use, and versatile. The app can digitally store all payment instruments, including Visa, Master debit and credit cards, and any bank accounts connected to the JustPay payment ecosystem.

Image Caption: Attendees visiting the merchants’ outlets at the HNB SOLO Avurudu Pola 2023