Regional Offices
With a view to encouraging and promoting the development of the productive resources of the particular region with the assistance of the banking sector, the first Regional Office of the Central Bank was opened at Matara in March, 1981.
The second and third Regional Offices were opened at Anuradhapura and Matale in March 1982 and December 1985, respectively. With a view to enhancing the development activities in the Northern Province and Eastern Province, CBSL opened its fourth Regional office at Jaffna in July 2010, the fifth Regional office at Trincomalee in November 2010 and the sixth Regional Office at Kilinochchi in May 2015.
The seventh Regional Office was opened in January 2016 at Nuwara Eliya basically to extend The Employee Provident Fund services further to employees in the Plantation Sector mainly in Nuwaraeliya and Badulla Districts.
However, the Regional Office, Jaffna was amalgamated with Regional Office, Kilinochchci in 2017. Accordingly, there are six Regional Offices.
At present, Regional Offices will also contribute to achieve two key goals of the Central Bank, the economic and price stability and financial system stability through maintaining the regional presence of Central Bank activities.
Areas of Operation of Regional offices
1. Regional Office-Matara
Galle, Matara Hambantota and Ratnapura Districts
2. Regional Office-Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam and Kurunagela Districts
3. Regional Office-Matale
Kandy, Matale and Kegalle Districts
4. Regional Office - Trincomalee
Trincomalee, Baticaloa and Ampara Districts
5. Regional Office-Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Mannar Districts
6. Regional Office- Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala and Badulla Districts
Further, Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha districts in Western Province are covered by Regional Office Management Department.
Objectives
Promoting the regional economy by facilitating the smooth and timely supply of financial assistance, guidance and marketing linkages, strengthening the credit delivery mechanism and coordination of related support services in order to promote economic growth.
Contributing to the reduction of poverty and upliftment of economic and social conditions in the relevant regions through conducting various awareness, education, training, technologytransfer/exposure visits, trade fairs and other development activities.
Supporting the implementation and coordination of key functions of the Central Bank in the regions
Functions of the Regional Offices
Facilitate regional development based on the resources available in the area through promoting MSMEs and SME and supporting different economic/business sectors
Contribute to reduction of disparity through promoting income generation activities and promoting savings habits among the rural community
Support for implementation of regional development lending programmes and other promotional activities of the Central Bank and the Government.
Collect and compile regional data/information and disseminate economic and financial data and information to raise awareness.
Expand outreach and create awareness on financial inclusion, formal banking and development activities, consumer protection with respect to unauthorized financial institutions, products, services and schemes, counterfeiting of currency notes etc. among the rural communities, law enforcement authorities, government and private sector institutions by conducting seminars / workshops etc.
Conducting various awareness, education, training, technologytransfer/exposure visits, trade fairs and other development activities.
Support regional planning activities and undertake resource surveys to identify regional specific problems that affect development activities in the regions.
Carry out certain Central Bank functions in the regions.