Green credit card from HNB

Greening the earth is one of the priorities around the world and with this in mind Hatton National Bank (HNB) has collaborated with the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) to issue a branded affinity Green Credit Card to the members of the CIOB.  
At a media briefing held on Wednesday at the HNB Auditorium, Roshantha Jayathunga, Head Cards, HNB said that HNB is an innovate product bank and the Green Card is the first of its kind issued to a corporate entity and is for the executives of CIOB members to purchase green construction material at discounted rates and also entails other facilities.
It is transparent and easy to monitor the transactions so that the finance departments of companies can quickly reimburse the money spent on the Green Card, he told reporters. There are special value additions like, tie-up with Master Card International (MCI) for special International Airport Lounge access to obtain facilities in more than 850 airport lounges around the world and HNB would obtain the membership for CIOB Members, free of charge, he pointed out.  
He indicated that in addition CIOB Members could benefit by various discounts in selected cities worldwide that are identified by MCI. They are to also tie up with green certified construction material suppliers in Sri Lanka under CIOB to obtain special discounts to CIOB members, he asserted. HNB looks at providing a structured tailor made retail banking facilities to cover personal loans, home loans, leasing facilities for the executive employee of the CIOB members.
Dr. Rohan Karunaratne, President, CIOB said that the green building construction is the need for the hour as it has been internationally identified that there is as much as more than 40 per cent environmental pollution by the construction industry and they are doing everything possible to mitigate the pollution by first cutting down waste which also constitutes to a very high percentage.
He said that cutting down waste is a must as it is found that Sri Lanka’s building construction cost is one of the highest in the region. (Quintus)