The Case Study - Seylan Bank

Rebuilding the Business45definitely affected the bottom line, both liquidity and capital adequacy ratioshad already been restored to accepted levels. In short, the immediate crisis wasdemonstrably past, and the steps toward longer-term recovery were alreadyyielding measurable success - at a time when much of the financial sector wasstill mired in the global economic downturn.Throughout the third quarter of 2009, there were many other signs ofprogress:• By August the Bank had recovered about Rs. 300 Mn. from previously nonperformingloans. The board’s pledge to reduce NPLs and step up recoveryefforts - including more aggressive pursuit of defaulters - was bearing fruit.• Cost-cutting by the end of August had yielded Rs. 860 Mn. in savings,bringing the target of Rs. 1 Bn. for the year well within reach. (Indeed, costsavings reached Rs. 1.2 Bn. by the end of October.)• In July and August the Bank launched a high-profile marketing campaignto win new customer deposits, showcasing its extensive history as a retailbanking innovator with a range of attractive offers, including three-month andone-year fixed products with the highest interest rates of any Sri Lankan bank.The campaign exceeded all expectations, bringing in welcome revenue alongwith the reassurance that customer confidence was significantly restored.• In a further strengthening of its national retail presence, Seylan Bankannounced that it would soon be opening new branches in the East and Northof the country, including areas newly amenable to development following theend of civil-war hostilities in May. The Bank has since opened a branch inNelliaddy and two Convenient Banking Centres in Manipay and Chankanai.An additional new branch in Mannar is scheduled to open in March 2010.• Foreign remittances also increased significantly for the first half of the year,totalling Rs. 12.7 Bn. Seylan Bank’s extensive network of internationalmoney transfer agencies - recently augmented by new partnerships withMoneyGram International, XPRESS MONEY and EzRemit - made iteasier than ever for expatriate workers and the Sri Lankan diaspora to sendfunds home from abroad. The growth in this area indicated that the Bank’sreputation was secure overseas as well.