- “In order to ensure that investors are protected, there are different mechanisms and rules such as the listing rules, market institution rules and market intermediary rules play a vital role” – SEC Chairman
- “A common challenge that Sri Lanka faces is that we do not use capital markets as effectively as we could to channel resources; channel capital to the sectors of the economy that are most needed.” – CSE Chairman
- “Financial literacy creates awareness on investor resilience and sustainable finance, making it a vital requirement in Sri Lanka’s development agenda – Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, HE Paul Stephens
- “In a country with gender parity for education, we note there is gender disparity in financial literacy, with women lagging behind. The role financial inclusion plays in poverty reduction cannot be overstated, and unless there is financial literacy, full financial inclusion becomes a farfetched idea” – IFC Operations Officer
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC), the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in partnership with the Australian Government, joined stock exchanges from around the world to ‘Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy’, as part of the sixth annual World Investor Week (WIW) in 2022, launched by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
The global campaign was launched with the objective of raising awareness of the importance of investor education and investor protection. Over 80 global stock exchanges worldwide have joined the “Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy initiative in 2022”, which is an initiative pioneered by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) to bring stakeholders together for a call to action on improving financial literacy.
The Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy Ceremony organized at the CSE was part of a series of initiatives to mark World Investor Week 2022. The event was attended by SEC and CSE officials, representatives from the Australian High Commission, the IFC, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce , the National Chamber of Commerce , CA Sri Lanka, CIMA Sri Lanka, CFA Society and Stock Broker Firms Other initiatives organized include Investor Forums in Kandy, Galle, Kurunegala, Jaffna, and Colombo and a social media campaign on financial literacy etc.
Welcoming the invitees to the ceremony, the CSE Chairman Mr. Dilshan Wirasekera said, “Among the series of projects that the SEC and the CSE have done to promote investor education, the most passionate project is including ‘Capital Markets’ as a subject in the school curriculum, from next year”. Mr. Wirasekera also stated that more projects are already in progress to create awareness among the investors on the stock market and that both institutions look forward to continue to conduct many more programs in the future.
-ADA DERANA