Nations Trust Bank announced its partnership with the Road Development Authority (RDA) at the recently held nationwide rollout of QR based solutions – The LANKAQR “ජනගතකරණය”. The national campaign, initiated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to boost digital payments across the country, was inaugurated by Hon. Minister of Highways and Chief Government Whip, Johnston Fernando, Hon. Minister of Sports, Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development, Namal Rajapaksa and CBSL Governor, Hon. Nivard Cabraal, and other Hon. Ministers and dignitaries.
The acceptance of contactless LANKAQR payments at the Manual Toll Collection (MTC) gates on the expressway is facilitated through FriMi together with CBSL and LankaPay to support a digitalized Sri Lanka in partnership with the Road Development Authority (RDA). This initiative will further strengthen the importance of an efficient and secure payments and settlement system for Sri Lankans to enjoy the benefits of digital and contactless payments.
Commenting on the state coming together with the banking sector to popularise digital payments in Sri Lanka was Hon. Minister of Highways and Chief Government Whip, Johnston Fernando. “It is important for us as Sri Lankans to adapt to more progressive practices and systems in order to move forward as a country, and we are extremely happy that the Ministry of Highways and the RDA has taken the lead in this initiative by facilitating digital payments. The partnership with the LANKAQR platform through CBSL, Lanka Clear and FriMi will allow the general public to experience the convenience and effortlessness of using cashless payments when traveling on the expressway, while ensuring an efficient and secure payments and settlement system for the Ministry of Highways and the RDA as a whole.”
Giving his comments about the initiation, Hon. Minister of Sports, Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development, Namal Rajapaksa stated, “This is indeed a milestone, as we witness the enabling of contactless and cashless payment acceptance via LANKAQR at expressway tollgates. This shows the level of success that we can expect in the future with the ongoing digitalisation drive and the adoption of digital technology in Sri Lanka.”
CBSL Governor, Hon. Nivard Cabraal too shared this sentiment where he disclosed, “The contactless payment acceptance at expressways is one of the many activities that have been planned under the nationwide rollout of LANKAQR and this initiative will undoubtedly pave the way for a digital economy and a less cash society.”
LANKAQR is a digital payment solution that allows customers to make contactless payments directly to accounts of merchants or service providers, using any LANKAQR enabled payment app by any bank, financial institution, mobile service provider or any other partner. This contactless payment solution has elevated the user convenience and their safety against the pandemic to drive the nation towards a cashless society. LANKAQR is an initiative by the CBSL to increase financial inclusion and support the Digital Banking Roadmap in Sri Lanka.
Encouraging the public to make use of this opportunity, Assistant Governor of CBSL, Mr. Dharmasri Kumaratunge added, “This project is one of the key milestones in the nationwide LANKAQR rollout initiative and we encourage the public to take the step to pay toll fees at expressway exits through any LANKAQR enabled apps and get to experience the convenience of contactless payments.”
“Nations Trust Bank has always been at the forefront of revolutionising the country’s banking sector and encouraging the behaviour of contactless payments, especially through FriMi. We are privileged to have had the opportunity to facilitate this project with CBSL and RDA to support this rollout. As a Bank, we want digital banking to go beyond being transactional – we want to build a digital integrated financial ecosystem that creates value for everyone. FriMi enabling LANKAQR contactless payments at the expressway tollgates together with CBSL and LankaClear is a massive milestone for digital banking and our country, in the journey towards a fully digital economy.” said Priyantha Talwatte, CEO and Director of Nations Trust Bank.
FriMi the fully-fledged digital banking experience powered by Nations Trust Bank consists of ground-breaking products and services that are designed and developed to delight customers thus providing novel experiences. It was ranked amongst the Top 30 Best Digital Financial Services Providers in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa as one of the Best Digital Banks & Financial Institutions by The Asian Banker. Named one of the Top 10 E-Commerce brands of Sri Lanka, FriMi was showcased in the LMD Brands Annual Report 2020 as compiled by Brand Finance Lanka. It is available on Android, iOS and Harmony OS and anyone in Sri Lanka above the age of 18 years can get on board FriMi by downloading the app. FriMi is powered by Nations Trust Bank PLC which is among the top 15 business establishments in Sri Lanka as ranked by Business Today and is strongly focused on digital empowerment through cutting-edge digital banking technologies.