Sampath Bank PLC has been recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026.
The award was presented at the Asia-Pacific regional awards ceremony held in Singapore recently.
Sanjaya Gunawardana, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sampath Bank said, “This recognition is a tremendous source of pride for Sampath Bank and for Team Sampath. It reflects our belief that corporate responsibility must create meaningful, measurable and lasting value for communities, while strengthening the resilience of the country we serve.
‘Wewata Jeewayak’ demonstrates how environmental restoration can be connected to community resilience, food security, economic opportunity as well as climate adaptation. The recognition from Euromoney reinforces our commitment to advancing this integrated approach and creating measurable impact that extends well beyond the projects themselves.”
The ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ programme reached a new scale in 2025, with Rs. 63.7 million (approximately USD 190,000) invested in 11 new tank restoration projects, benefiting 14,780 people and rejuvenating 3,370 acres of paddy land. The initiative forms part of Sampath Bank’s broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience and rural development by restoring neglected irrigation tanks that serve as critical water infrastructure for Sri Lanka’s agricultural communities.
What began as an environmental restoration initiative has evolved into a broader rural development platform, incorporating agricultural training, agri-entrepreneurship, financial literacy and capacity building to help communities strengthen productivity, incomes and long-term economic resilience.
Image caption:
From left: Allan Wu, MC for the Event; Dr. Lalith Weragoda – Chief Transformation Officer, Sampath Bank PLC; Nuwan Pathirana – Head of Sustainability, Sampath Bank PLC; David Byrne – Head of Asia, Euromoney and Ajantha de Vas Gunasekara – Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, Sampath Bank PLC
