Mercantile Investments and Finance Plc's (MI) annual report was recognised among the top ten corporates at the 55th Annual Reports awards ceremony, which was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo on 4 December.

Organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, the Annual Reports Awards is one of the country's most prestigious and oldest corporate events of its kind. The event promotes transparency, accountability, social responsibility and corporate governance among diverse business sectors.

Internal Trade and Consumer Welfare State Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa attended the event as Chief Guest, with Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy serving as the Guest of Honour.

Titled 'A Profound Journey', Mercantile Investments and Finance Plc's annual report secured the Silver Award in the Finance Company Sector and a place among the Top 10 Annual Reports of Sri Lanka for the 2018/2019 financial year. With over 130 applicants this year, reaching this milestone was certainly a noteworthy performance. This recognition was received consequent to MI winning at the CMA Integrated Annual Reporting Awards 2019, securing a place in the top ten of the Best Integrated Annual Reports, which encompassed the cream of Sri Lankan corporates.

The report centered around creating value for people, customers, employees, communities and the general public who have all played an integral part in Mercantile Investments and Finance Plc's 55-year proud business history. Reflecting the importance of human capital, Gerard Ondaatjie, in the Managing Director's review of the annual report, stressed: 'Equal emphasis was placed on nurturing human capital to improve productivity, in the light of increasing work demands and sophistication. Accordingly, our investment in training and development activities went up rapidly year-on-year, setting the tone for a more future-oriented workforce.'

It was yet another laurel in the cap for the company to have earned this prestigious award in acknowledgment of its excellence in financial and non-financial reporting. For over five decades, Mercantile Investments and Finance Plc has been at the forefront of Sri Lanka's financial services industry and has been known to produce outstanding annual reports with due transparency. MI is a licensed finance company in Sri Lanka under the Finance Business Act No. 42 of 2011 as well as being listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan