DFCC Bank Brings Asia-Pacific Development Finance Leaders to Sri Lanka for ADFIAP 49

DFCC Bank has hosted the 49th annual meetings of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific in Colombo,The gathering at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams was held under the theme “Partnerships for Prosperity: Unlocking Regional Potential”. DFCC, a founding and charter member of the association, hosted the meetings for the third time.

The programme combined policy discussions with visits to businesses in agriculture, food processing and dairy. Formal sessions covered public-private partnerships, regional integration, climate finance, digital transformation for small and medium-sized enterprises, and participation by underserved communities.

ADFIAP chair Dr Kao Thach, chief executive of Cambodia’s Agricultural and Rural Development Bank, led a delegation that met Sri Lankan policymakers and regulators. The opening programme included a keynote address by Central Bank Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe.

A separate session examined Sri Lanka’s financial landscape and opportunities to translate economic stability into investment, productivity and growth.

In Kurunegala, the delegation visited a poultry-processing operation to examine integrated production, automation, food-safety controls and processing technology. A visit to a rural dairy enterprise focused on DFCC’s value-chain financing programme and investment in farm management, feed and infrastructure.

Paddy-sector engagements explored knowledge exchange and cooperation in agriculture, rural development and food security.

Six partnership agreements were ceremonially recognised during the meetings. Their stated areas included green infrastructure, sustainable finance, agricultural technology, digital banking, investment sourcing and institutional capacity-building.

DFCC director and chief executive Thimal Perera linked the gathering to building continuing relationships between regional institutions and Sri Lankan enterprises. The bank presents those relationships as potential routes to finance and expertise, with the value of the meetings dependent on partnerships progressing beyond discussion.