DFCC functioned as a development bank for the first six decades of its existence, primarily contributing to balanced regional and sectoral development. The Sri Lankan banking sector witnessed a significant advancement with the introduction of groundbreaking products and services. This pioneering effort has snowballed into industry-wide adoption of digitisation.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), and Stewardship are new values recognised in 2022. DFCC Bank takes a comprehensive perspective on DE&I to include not only the traditional criteria of race, religion, and gender but diversity of personalities as well.

Sustainability

The next stage in the Bank’s evolution was a significant shift towards sustainability. In common with much of the industry globally, DFCC has eschewed a near-sighted focus on the bottom line, realising that sustainability is the path to ensure long-term profitability. The Bank has aligned its strategies with the triple bottom line. It has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming completely carbon-neutral by 2030.

DFCC has established itself as a premier lender for renewable energy projects such as waste-to-energy, solar, wind, and hydropower.

Ethics and Integrity

DFCC has a strict code of ethics and integrity, which is scrupulously followed in all its business practices. It is integral to interactions with all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and business partners. The Bank also has strict safeguards against corruption.

Product and Service Portfolio

 

The Bank provides extensive products and services, including corporate banking, retail and SME banking, MSME banking, treasury and investment banking, international trade, remittances, credit cards, bancassurance, and institutional business development. The breadth of its range naturally implies that it must service an extremely diverse customer base, from large corporations to micro-enterprises to individuals from all walks of life. This, in turn, has meant that the Bank has had to develop great agility in its systems, processes, and customer experience.

Digitalisation

Digitalisation provides a major boost to the Bank and permeates almost all the Bank’s products and services. It provides a pathway to better customer service, greater efficiency, higher quality, and timely information. The entire range of customers, from large corporations to small SMEs, are embracing digitalisation today.

Reach

The Bank has an island-wide network spanning 139 branches and 5,500 ATMs via the LankaPay ATM network. This is in addition to online banking and mobile banking, and “DFCC Myspace”, which provides access to customers on the move. More details of the network are provided on page 112. Future expansion of the physical network is expected to be downplayed in favour of expanding the digital channels.

Gender and SMEs

The Bank has consistently prioritised advancing women’s economic empowerment. Despite women being underrepresented in the labour force and undervalued for their economic contributions, approximately 25% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are owned by women, indicating significant potential within this sector.