Sampath Bank PLC has been recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, recognising the Bank’s efforts to create long-term social, environmental and economic value through its community-focused initiatives.
The award was presented at the Asia-Pacific regional awards ceremony held recently in Singapore.
Commenting on the recognition, Sampath Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjaya Gunawardana said the award reflected the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that corporate responsibility initiatives deliver meaningful and measurable benefits to communities while contributing to the country’s resilience.
“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,” Gunawardana said.
He highlighted the Bank’s ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ programme, which focuses on restoring neglected irrigation tanks and strengthening the communities that depend on them.
“‘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,” he added.
The ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ programme reached a new scale in 2025, with Sampath Bank investing Rs. 63.7 million, equivalent to approximately US$190,000, in 11 new tank restoration projects. The projects benefited 14,780 people and helped rejuvenate 3,370 acres of paddy land.
The programme forms part of Sampath Bank’s wider efforts to strengthen climate resilience and rural development by restoring neglected irrigation tanks that serve as critical water infrastructure for agricultural communities across Sri Lanka.
What began as an environmental restoration initiative has since developed into a broader rural development platform. Alongside the restoration of irrigation infrastructure, the programme incorporates agricultural training, agri-entrepreneurship, financial literacy and capacity building.
Through these components, the initiative seeks to help rural communities improve agricultural productivity, strengthen household incomes and build greater long-term economic resilience. The integrated approach also connects environmental restoration with the wider economic and social needs of communities dependent on Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector.
The Euromoney recognition highlights the growing role of corporate responsibility initiatives that address interconnected environmental, social and economic challenges while delivering measurable outcomes for communities.
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