Launched by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the ‘LANKAQR Nationwide Rollout Campaign’ proceeded to the city of Tangalle on Saturday 27th November, drawing the participation of numerous high-profile guests together with many of the country’s top banks, financial institutions, and telcos with SDB bank assuming a lead role.

A continuation of the CBSL-led islandwide LANKAQR promotion campaign, which witnessed the hosting of a series of events across the country in major cities including Matale, Galle, Colombo and Kandy, the ‘LANKAQR Nationwide Rollout Campaign’ with its edition in Tangalle advanced on efforts to introduce LANKAQR as the standard for mobile phone and digital payments countrywide.

Held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Tangalle, the event was graced by the Chief Guest, Hon. Minister Namal Rajapakse, top Central Bank officials including Mr. D. Kumaratunge, Assistant Governor CBSL, together with top level representatives from all participating banks, financial institutions and telcos.

SDB bank CEO Thilak Piyadigama, the CBSL-appointed Chairman of the LANKAQR Committee delivered the welcome address, pointing out the critical nature of the vision shared by all participating individuals and organizations, in advancing towards a cashless economy plus a digital-savvy country and improved financial inclusion across Sri Lanka.

The Tangalle-leg of the LANKAQR Nationwide Rollout Campaign furthered the program’s wider vision of introducing digital transactions as the norm locally, an aim that is closely linked to SDB bank-owned mobile payment app UPay’s extensive efforts to take digital payment conveniences to each corner of the island.

The event also featured the conducting of specific transactions on-location through the use of LANKAQR, involving the Chief Guest and top officials from all participating banks, financial institutions and telcos. The numerous activities outlined for the day concluded with the visiting of select merchant stores by participating guests, to conduct further LANKAQR-based transactions.

The greatly improved payment functionality offered by QR-based digital payments allows for a range of benefits to both individual consumers and merchants. While offering customers anytime, anywhere payment capabilities, it also facilitates the ability to track finances and spending patterns with greater accuracy. Parallelly, it provides the convenience of real-time transactions to merchants, nurturing a more vibrant economy in both rural and urban spaces countrywide, specifically through the offering of low-cost digital payment solutions to both SMEs and informal businesses, mirroring UPay’s approach under the guidance of SDB bank.

The consequent digital payment plus transaction ecosystem affords a higher degree of commercial transparency, promotes a greater volume of economic activity, and thereby is set to positively impact the national economy as a whole.

With the recent leg of the LANKAQR Nationwide Rollout Campaign held in Tangalle, further public awareness was built on the convenience, cost-effective nature and security of LANKAQR-based digital payments for customers as well as merchants, amplified by top banking entities like SDB bank adding greater momentum towards the national vision of a progressive transformation to a digital economy.

Image: (Left to right) D. Kumaratunge, Deputy Governor – CBSL, Hon. Minister Namal Rajapakse and SDB bank's CEO, Thilak Piyadigama.