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| Wednesday, 19 December 2001 |
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Letters | |
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The marble plaque at the newly opened Provincial Secretariat in Ratmalana (opposite CTB depot) bears a glaring spelling mistake in the English inscription. It says the building was opened by Minister Richard Pathirana on the invitation of Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga during the region of President Kumratunga. Obviously it should have been reign. Also the President's middle name is spelt as Bandaranayake instead of Bandaranaike. Doesn't anyone in authority ever bother to check the wording on such plaques, name boards etc, before the craftsman or painter takes over. SISIRA M. GUNARATNE-Moratuwa.
Interchangeable LP gas cylinders This is in response to the letter with the above title from K.P. Jayatilaka of Pannipitiya (DN, Dec. 04). The question raised is one, many readers may have, so I write to explain why we do not let competitors fill our cylinders and why they should not allow anyone else to do so either with their cylinders. Consumers associate products with the brand they carry and have certain expectations and perceptions with what that brand stands for. Thus, a brand owner like Shell needs to be responsible for all the processes involved in delivering the product and its brand's associated values to the customer, including its manufacture, packaging and distribution. If a competitor were to refill another branded cylinder, the brand owner can no longer guarantee to the customer that the branded product he or she buys will indeed carry the values of the brand. In the particular case of LPG, the safety of the product is absolutely critical to give customers the confidence to use it safely and conveniently in their homes. In the refilling process, there needs to be strict quality and safety controls that screen out unsafe cylinders and ensure that only safe products are issued to the market. And it is the brand owner, being responsible for the safety of the product, who needs to ensure that such controls are in place and implemented vigilantly. If a competitor were to refill another branded cylinder without the authorisation of the brand owner, who then will take responsibility for the safety of the product? Consumers need to know this, and it is thus vital that the brand owner fully take on this responsibility. The Shell brand, being amongst the top 10 brands globally, is one of the most recognised and respected brands in the world. The Shell brand stands for core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people. Ingrained in these values is a world renowned commitment to safety and quality. Shell Gas Lanka Ltd. carries the Shell brand in Sri Lanka and we are committed to its values. Safety is of vital importance. Our main filling plant at Mabima and our LPG import terminal at Kerawalapitiya were awarded National Safety Awards this year, clear recognition of our commitment to safety. I trust this clarifies why we cannot and should not allow any party to refill our cylinders without our authorisation. If a party does so, we would take strong legal action to put a stop to it in order to protect our customers and our brand. STEVEN BARTHOLOMEUSZ-Corporate Communications Manager Reference your editorial of the 11th instant, I am certain every right-thinking person would endorse the first action of the newly appointed PM in his action of trying to form a government with the assistance of all, as a very noble and a sincere gesture, purely because he is on a sound footing to carry on, on his own without the assistance of others. From the famous sayings uttered during pre elections, we are all well-aware that mostly all except for a few cried hoarse, to do everything for the sake of the country, for which they have come forward to seek elections. Furthermore, it is my belief by joining together, they could ensure that their share of contribution towards the betterment of the country could be better represented from within rather than being in the opposite camp.l Accordingly, the above action of the PM which is his first in the first hundred days would be a good indicator of what the country would achieve under his leadership. hence, I would request everyone to give peace a chance, without which nothing could be achieved. I have advocated this position through your paper by my letter of 20th October, 2000, which I reiterate once again as the only means the country could benefit. TOMMY WANIGESINGHE-Kurunegala |
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