Corporate Social Responsibility

Our commitment towards Sri Lanka

Banking is our business. Making it the most people oriented, technologically advanced organization, providing up to the minute products and services, with superlative financial management have enabled Commercial Bank, to be Sri Lanka’s leading bank year after year. And beyond financial responsibilities, Commercial Bank has chartered new territories by identifying needs and providing just the right kind of service when required. The Commercial Bank Social Responsibility Trust, founded for this purpose, has reached out to the core to uplift creatively, socially, culturally and ethically in an outstanding manner.

Our commitment for the planet

Extending beyond the borders of its financial domain, Commercial Bank is involved as a participating financial institution in the E Friends loan scheme. Partnered with the Japan bank for international corporation who supplied the funds, loans were granted at concessionary rates to motivate companies to be more environment conscious. Projects such as reducing emission, improving worker safety etc.... were financially assisted with easy pay loan schemes. The technical transfer assistance scheme also contributed in controlling emission in plants, water treatment, waste minimization etc....

CSR trustees

• Chairman
• Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
• Director
• Chief Financial Officer
• Deputy General Manager - Marketing

Allocation of CSR funds – Sector Wise

• Education - 70% (Approximately)
• Other Projects (Healthcare, Community, Environment ect) - 30% (Approximately)
  

Main objectives as stated in the trust deed

• To support further education in Sri Lanka
• To assist in improving health services in Sri Lanka
• To preserve and improve the environment
• To support community and provide community services
• To assist in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka
• To undertake other charitable activities decided by the Trust

Main projects

1. Established 32 more "IT Labs" in 2021 for the benefit of 35,000 students and bringing the total number to 253. 
2. Trained more than 1500 students through a variety of Cisco hardware and software courses, making them eligible for highly paid jobs.  
3. Launched “Math Labs” to stimulate the mathematical and analytical skills of school children. Established 06 more in 2021 and bringing the total number to 36.  
4. Launched a software learning platform in government schools by establishing 100 coding clubs and imparted ability of coding to 20,000 students.  
5. Launched ‘Smart Schools’ initiative facilitating the smart teaching process and aligning with global trends at selected schools. 
6. Launched ‘Sipnena’ online platform for distance learning. 
7. Established 110 STEM classrooms to develop the tech knowledge of school children.  
8. Launched LMS to learn STEM education and conducted physical computing courses for students & teachers in collaboration with STEMup foundation. 
9. Provided Scholarships to over 350 undergraduates. 
10. Conducted a virtual hackathon in collaboration with STEMup foundation. 
11. Continued the support to Vocational Training Authority to enrol more students from government schools and provided more than 200 jobs to early school leavers in the construction industry of Sri Lanka. 
12. Provided critical care equipment and infrastructure facilities to over 90 government hospitals. In year 2021, we carried out 25 Healthcare projects and donated critical care equipment and infrastructure facilities to the total value of Rs.26.3 Mn.  
13. Pioneered funding a successful research, on preventing and mitigating Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin (CKDu), by providing 5000 litre domestic rainwater harvesting tanks to 109 families in Ginnoruwa, Mahiyangana area. 
14. Provided 5 million worth of agricultural machineries and tools for the Thuru Mithuru Nawa Ratak project which is a macro level program of the Sri Lankan army in pursuit of securing a domestic agricultural economy in Sri Lanka and promoting Home based cultivation among all Sri Lankans. 
15. Provided milk containers to farmers in Kilinochchi area. 
16. CBC CSR Trust has allocated Rs. 1 Mn to construct a covered terrace for the disabled children in Methsewa children's home, Wellawaya. 
17. When the country was hit by disastrous floods, the CSR Unit distributed essential items (kitchen utensils, mattresses, mosquito nets etc) to more than 6000 families thereby enabling them to start their life afresh.
18. Constructed a 60 feet tall water tank in Nimalawa Aranya to supply drinking water to the meditative monks who reside there. 
19. Launched several projects like restoration of the stairway of Sri pada and construction of a museum in Kiriwehera, Katharagama with a view to preserving our cultural heritage. 
20. A mangrove planting project was initiated around Koggala lagoon to prevent the erosion of the land belonging to 21 islands located there in collaboration with the Wildlife and Ocean Resource Conservation. During 1st and 02 Phase of the project, more than 450 barrels with 1315 mangrove plants were planted to cover 550m in the Eastern part of the island and launched third phase of the project to extend mangrove coverage by a further 700 metres with replanting on two islands in the Koggala Lake, including ‘Madol Duwa,’ which rose to fame after Martin Wickramasinghe’s celebrated novel. 
21. Conservation of sea turtles (an endangered species) at Panama beach, was commenced partnering with Environmentalist Dhanushka Mahanama and more than 42,000 creatures were released to deep sea by utilizing the natural methodology since 2019. 
22. Continued the gardening project in the National Hospital by growing CO2 absorbent trees to mitigate the air pollution prevalent in the Townhall area. 
23. Pioneered a research on blind snakes, enabling the renowned herpetologist Mendis Wickramasinghe to find 39 new Typhlops, a genus of burrowing snakes endemic to Sri Lanka.