Bankers to the nation Lights Up Maduwa Island With a New Era of Digital Banking

THE Bank of Ceylon (BOC), Sri Lanka’s premier bank, extended its national mission of financial inclusion to the Southern Province with the opening of a new BOC Connect Agent Banking Centre at the Maduwa Sub Post Office.

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The Centre was declared open by the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, marking a significant milestone for the island community.

Maduwa Island, home to nearly 300 families, a school, pre school, two temples and a sub post office which functions as the main community service hub, has long faced challenges in accessing formal banking services due to its remote and unique geography. The island connects to the mainland through a narrow, dilapidated six-foot-wide wooden bridge, making boat transport the primary means of travel. Today, around 400 boats operate in the area, supporting the livelihoods of families engaged in cinnamon cultivation, cinnamon-based cottage industries, fish therapy centers, ecotourism ventures and river-based transport services. Although the island attracts both local and foreign visitors year-round, its residents have struggled to access banking services on the mainland, compelling them to cross the river for even basic transactions.