This is an integrated annual report and is a compact disclosure on how our strategy, governance, performance and prospects have resulted in the creation of sustainable value within our operating environment.
The ability of an organisation to create sustainable value for itself depends on the value it creates for its stakeholders, making value creation essentially a two-way process. In fact, the more value an organisation creates, the more value it is able to create for itself. Therefore firms spend substantial resources on creating and maintaining relationships with their stakeholders. Value creation leads to capital formation. As a store of value, capital takes on a broader meaning in integrated reporting and constitutes the resources and relationships used and affected by an organisation. We classify capital that is owned by the organisation as being ‘internal’ capital, while capital that is not owned as ‘external’ capital. Ownership is irrelevant here as long as the organisation has access to and uses all forms of its capital to create sustainable value for itself and its stakeholders.
Our Management Discussion and Analysis is thus structured likewise, based on value creation and capital formation.
Taking forward the approach to reporting adopted in the last two years, this report balances the need to communicate effectively through concise, relevant information (to a large and diverse stakeholder group), while at the same time providing comprehensive compliance-related disclosures (that would interest only a few). We are thus presenting our Annual Report 2016 in three primary formats:
Going beyond conventional reporting, we have implemented a more current format for reporting and have upgraded our corporate website with a focus on investor relations, supplemented by an investor relations app for smart phones and other devices.
The DFCC Bank Annual Report for 2016 covers the 12 month period from 01 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and is reflective of the change in the financial year-end implemented in 2015. The previous annual report covered the nine month period from 01 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 and is available on the company website (www.dfcc.lk). Some of the Group entities have a 31 March financial year-end and they are consolidated with DFCC Bank’s reporting period with a three month time lag. A summary of the accounting periods covered by the Statement of Profit and Loss and Other Comprehensive Income in the Bank and the Group columns is given in the Financial Report (page 136).
Our reporting covers DFCC Bank PLC (‘DFCC Bank’ or ‘Bank’) and the DFCC Bank Group (‘Group’) comprising the Bank and its subsidiaries, a joint venture company and an associate company. The respective entities are duly identified where applicable.
As declared on page 131 the Board of Directors of DFCC Bank, in the spirit of good governance, accepts responsibility for the entirety of this Annual Report 2016.
The information contained herein, as in the past, is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and standards. Additional details are given in the Corporate Governance Report (page 97), Financial Statements and the Notes thereon (page 135) and the Independent Auditors’ Report (page 134).
In addition, we have drawn on concepts, principles and guidance from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Guidelines G4, the International Integrated Reporting Framework and the Smart Integrated Reporting Methodology™ in producing this Report.
We take due cognisance of the social and environmental consequences of our actions, both direct and indirect. The latter are more significant and they arise from our lending operations, which are addressed through credit policies, the Social & Environmental Management System (SEMS), post-disbursement supervision and risk management processes.
The basis for reporting on subsidiaries, joint ventures and other entities, leased facilities, outsourced operations as well as any restatements and significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary or measurement methods are disclosed where appropriate. They are in compliance with the reporting standards disclosed in the Financial Reports.
We welcome your comments or questions on this Report. You may contact the Secretary to the Board at our Head Office via email or snail mail through the contact details given under Corporate Information.
