Seniors First

The Bank of Ceylon (BOC) is trying to convince more senior citizens to use ATM machines, instead of queuing up at the bank counter for pensions. The Bank of Ceylon (BOC) is trying to convince more senior citizens to use ATM machines, instead of queuing up at the bank counter for pensions. "We have quite a few senior citizens. We are trying to get them also to use ATMs," said M T Perera, Deputy General Manager, Support Services, BOC.

"We will start issuing ATM cards for them soon," he said.

The State bank has a customer base of over six million of which a “fair amount” are older citizens – mainly retired government servants that use the bank for their monthly pensions.

BOC has around 280,000 ATM cardholders, mostly acquired through its 18 + (eighteen plus) savings scheme, for young people.

In fact a majority of Sri Lanka’s over one million ATM cardholders are between the ages of 20 –35 years.

"The younger generation are very familiar with ATMs. Young people, even from places like Pollonnaruwa, have ATM cards," says Perera.

On Thursday the bank announced its tie up with Sampath Bank that will widen i