Message from the Chairperson on Corporate Governance

Dear Stakeholders

Sound corporate governance practices form the bedrock of sustainable value creation and the Board of Directors of SDB bank is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and accountability. This commitment has enhanced credibility and stakeholder confidence in the Organisation, enabling us to attract new investors and remain resilient in the face of industry vulnerabilities and economic stress.

The Bank’s corporate governance framework embodies clearly defined governance structures, comprehensive policy frameworks and strong business ethics, setting the tone for employee conduct. The framework has been designed to comply with all regulatory and statutory requirements of the CBSL, CSE and the SEC. In addition, the Bank has also embraced several voluntary frameworks and industry best practices in setting up its governance, risk management and corporate reporting frameworks.

The collective industry acumen, depth of skills and diversity of experience of Board of Directors have enriched Board discussions and will be a key driver of the Bank’s strategic transformation over the next few years. The Bank’s ability to attract international investors and employee confidence on the Bank’s mission, providing renewed vigour and enthusiasm to our team. In 2019 the Board met 13 times and key areas of focus included implementation of the transformation strategies.

The reports on pages 78 to 106 describe the Bank’s corporate governance practices and compliance to the Banking Act Direction No. 12 of 2007 and subsequent amendments thereto for Licensed Specialised Banks in Sri Lanka by the CBSL and the Code of Best Practice on Corporate Governance issued jointly by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Sri Lanka and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) in 2017.

I wish to confirm that all the findings of the “Factual Findings Report” of the External Auditors in relation to compliance with Corporate Governance Direction issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have been incorporated to this Report.

I further confirm that all prudential requirements, regulations, Laws and internal controls are complied with and measures have been taken to rectify all material non-compliances as and when it is identified.

As required by the Code of Best Practice on Corporate Governance issued jointly by the Securities Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka in 2017, I hereby confirm that, I am not aware of any material misstatement of any of the provisions of the internal Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by any Director or Key Management Personnel of the Bank.

Samadanie Kiriwandeniya
Chairperson

26 February 2020
Colombo, Sri Lanka