|| Daily News Online Edition - Sri lanka

Maliban Milk Products (Pvt.) Ltd has joined hands with the Bank of Ceylon (BoC) to offer customers a unique opportunity that they receive an appreciation for being a loyal consumer of Maliban Milk and loyal accountholder of the Bank of Ceylon.

The BoC will issue to all their accountholders; on a monthly basis, for one year; Kiri Upahara discount coupons for purchases of Maliban Kiri.

Maliban Milk Products (Pvt.,) Ltd., will provide all the branches and extended offices; adequate quantities of Kiri Upahara discount coupons; and make all arrangements at some outlets close to each branch for the convenience of BoC clients to purchase Maliban milk under this program.

The Bank of Ceylon together with Maliban Milk Products (Pvt.) Limited., share the pride of launching this program and a promotional campaign at national level to announce, encourage and persuade more people to take part in this program.

Rhino donates items for IDPs

Rhino Roofing Products Ltd, recently donated milk powder, hygiene packs, undergarments and sewing machines among displaced persons in Vavuniya through the Alliance Development Trust (ADT). ADT is currently faced with the challenge of continuing to provide for the daily needs of these civilians, until the Government re-settles them in their own homes.

Managing Director of Rhino Roofing, Jayaseelan Gnanam took action to supply these items to the displaced.

Participating in the official handing over of these items to the Alliance Development Trust on July 27 were Godfrey Yogarajah - General Secretary ADT; T.A.S. Vimalan, Coordinator Relief and Development, ADT; Jayaseelan Gnanam, Managing Director, Rhino Roofing; Manoj Weeraman, Chief Financial Officer, Rhino and Priyantha Jayasinghe, Marketing Manager, Rhino.

DFCC Vardhana Bank opens 50th branch

DFCC Vardhana Bank (DVB), celebrated the opening of its 50th retail outlet in Beliatta.

Beliatta was one of four new DVB postal units opened this month. The others are Hambantota, Ambalantota and Tangalle, bringing the total number of DVB postal units to nine.

"This is an important milestone for DFCC Vardhana, and reiterates our commitment to providing our customers with the most accessible branch network, offering a full range of products and services to meet all their financial requirements under one roof.

The focus on the Southern Province in opening new branches reflects our confidence in the potential for development in this province in the wake of mega development projects undertaken by the Government in the province." said Managing Director and CEO, DFCC Vardhana Bank L.G. Perera.

DFCC Vardhana Bank covers nearly all districts in Sri Lanka. This comprehensive network makes it convenient for DVB customers to access the bank and its services.

DVB's postal units also ensure that customers have better access to the bank's commercial and personal financial services.

The postal units; offered through the SL postal network aims to focus on providing formal banking facilities to rural areas through the extensive network of postal and sub-post offices.

Sleep lab at Nawaloka Hospital

Nawaloka Hospital, has added unique facility with the establishment of its state-of -the-art sleep laboratory which is now fully operational.

"Sleep studies are tests that allow doctors to observe what happens to your body during sleep which enables them to identify sleep related disorders and assess its severity. Sleep studies are important because untreated sleep disorders can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, hormonal disorders like impotency and motor vehicle or work related accidents. Getting quality sleep is essential as having good nutrition and exercise," said Director/General Manager Nawaloka Hospitals, Prof. Lal Chandrasena.

The sleep laboratory is manned by an experienced team including a senior medical officer and nurses who provide the highest quality of care for the evaluation and treatment of people with sleep disorders. Sleep disorders do not only affect adults. As many as one out of three schoolchildren may suffer from sleep problems at some time in their lives, with many going undiagnosed.

According to Prof. Chandrasena, amongst the common sleeping disorders are snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which is a cessation of breathing many times during sleep for longer than 10 seconds at a time, when the muscles of the tongue, throat and larynx loose their elasticity and collapse during sleep thus resulting in a blockage of air flow into the lungs. "Untreated sleep apnea could result in day time fatigue and sleepiness, morning headaches and dry mouth, loss of memory and concentration, irritability and depression, high blood pressure, as well as cardiovascular risk, such as strokes and heart attacks".

Exetel scholarships for SLIIT students

Exetel, one of Australia's communications services providers recently awarded scholarships to students of Sri Lanka's premier Information Communication Technology education institution, the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), at a ceremony at the SLIIT's Malabe campus.

Through this offer, Exetel will take advantage of the excellent level of computer programming and networking skills developed at SLIIT, to more rapidly develop both their off-shore programming services and in-house systems.

"We are delighted to offer two full scholarships every year to SLIIT in recognition of the high standards of IT education that the University maintains", said Exetel's Director, Steve Waddington. "We recognize that it takes a combination of hard work and educational funding for most students to achieve their goal of tertiary education and that is why we've developed a set of scholarships that help address the critical need of student funding," he explained.

Chairman of SLIIT, Prof. S. Karunaratne said, "Scholarships of this nature are always welcome as they help address the financial needs of some of the most brilliant students who otherwise have no means of funding their further education.

It also offers a natural spring board for a career path to the student to gain exposure in a global company".

Airtel joins Sri Lanka's modern retail

Bharti Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd has conquered yet another unchartered territory for the telecom industry. Customers who patronise Cargills Food City, Keells and ARPICO supermarkets and Singer and Abans showrooms as well as M.D. Gunasena outlets can now experience Airtel's range of service offerings with ease.

Explaining how customers can enjoy enhanced opportunities of convenience to access information, stay connected and enjoy Airtel's rich array of services on offer, CEO of Bharti Airtel Lanka Amali Nanayakkara said, "The strategy is in line with our commitment of providing effective services for customers to experience the brand holistically".

She said that being present at all relevant touch-points at the correct time to deliver customer delight.

Our organized retail and alliance partnerships enmesh that vital element of service, combining ease of access and customer convenience, keeping abreast of intricate customer requirements to constantly service customers fully to this end".

Services on offer range from bill payment for all postpaid connections and reload facilities for prepaid connections. In addition, Airtel Stores have also been set up at selected strategic locations within partner establishments, where services extend to the purchase of new prepaid and postpaid connections.

"Through strategic innovation, Cargills Food City has clearly evolved from being a supermarket to a one-stop-shop solution offering a variety of value-added services to households.

Our tie-up with Airtel further strengthens our efforts to provide a comprehensive service to our customer base," says Executive Director, Retail and Restaurants, Cargills (Ceylon) PLC. Sidath Kodikara.

The availability of the array of offerings has also been widely accepted by other major Modern Trade partners as well. CEO Jaykay Marketing Services (Pvt) Ltd and Vice President - John Keells Group Charitha Subasinghe, said that "At Keells Super, we continue to explore ways of creating value to our shoppers. This partnership is yet another step in that direction".

Three major milestones for AIU Holdings

AIU Holdings accomplished three major milestones towards becoming an independently operated company - the formation by American International Group, Inc. (AIG) of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) into which AIG intends to contribute the equity of AIU Holdings, subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals; the appointment of Kristian P. Moor as its President and Chief Executive Officer; and the creation of a new brand, Chartis. These actions accelerate the unification of its worldwide businesses and further advance the organization toward its goal of operating independence.

Chartis, headquartered in New York, includes Commercial Insurance, Foreign General Insurance, and Private Client Group operations. It offers an unrivalled global footprint and breadth of product across one of the world's largest, most sophisticated and most successful commercial and personal insurance platforms, with a combined statutory surplus of $32.1 billion worldwide at year-end 2008. Chartis serves more than 40 million clients in over 160 countries and jurisdictions. "We are excited by this new stage in our evolution, which will sharpen appreciation for the value of one of the most experienced and extensive insurance platforms in the world," Moor said.

"Chartis employees are our greatest asset and our new brand embodies their relentless pursuit of excellence through innovation and an unwavering commitment to meeting clients' needs. Today's developments give us an even greater opportunity to build on our historic success."

The SPV formation, the appointment of Moor, and the new brand allow Chartis to advance its reputation as a preeminent global insurance organization and showcase its strengths: a deep bench of world-class industry talent; financial stability; a multinational service offering; sector-leading product innovation; and dedication to client service. Chartis, with its own brand and management team and a well-capitalized and focused portfolio of businesses, will benefit from a better-defined, more distinct role in the marketplace. The Company will be led by Moor and a leadership team that have an average of more than 20 years of insurance industry experience.

Chartis derives from the Greek word for map, underscoring the Company's 90-year history as a successful global pioneer that is able to guide clients to customized solutions. Chartis and its compass logo also capture the franchise's disciplined-yet-flexible approach to navigating changing marketplaces and complex risks worldwide. As the Chartis name and its history suggest, Chartis employees are problem solvers and innovators who possess a global perspective combined with intimate knowledge of the regions and cultures that shape their clients' needs.

PATHE Academy launches one-year training program

United Kingdom Regent College principal Selva Pankaj said that the English language is the International language all should learn. While respecting other languages in the world all communities, specially students, should learn English to be fully equipped intelectually and academically to face the challenges and successfully enter the development process and procure lucrative employment in the world.

Principal Selva Pankaj, who was on a brief holiday in Sri Lanka, on an invitation of 'People's Academy of Tertiary and Higher Education' (PATHE) Sri Lanka told the "Daily News" that PATHE Academy, Sri Lanka can expect a training program that is on par with European standards.

Regent Group managed by Pankaj is an experienced investment and finance professional with an education, investment and property sector background. Principal Pankaj is a qualified Chartered Accountant and completed his MBA at University of SDA Boccani, Milan.

The Regent Group is a well established Education Group in the UK, which manages Regent College, Burlington College, Regent Learning, Regent Nursery and an Investment Division called Chesterfied Partners.

Regent College is a co-educational independent senior school and Sixth Form college located in Harrow, in north-west London.

"We dedicate ourselves not only to providing an excellent academic education, but also to providing an environment where students feel they can achieve their best with the support of the staff and their fellow students," said Princiapl Selva Pankaj.

'Adventura' at Excel World

The "Adventura", fun ride area at the Excel World, the famous entertainment park was launched last week. The company has invested Rs. 40 million on the Italian imported equipment and fittings and plans to further invest Rs. 60 to Rs. 100 million by March next year, said Joint Managing Director Excel Global Holdings Kiron Shenoy.

"This is the first stage of our project, which comprises bumper cars, a pirate ship, carousel and a bees ride specially imported from Preston Barbie Italy.

These rides are complemented with a swan ride, a fancy train and the existing 4D simulation ride with 14 different films. This park will be a combination of value for money, centrally located, hassle free environment, ambience and good food", he said.

Adventura will be added with further new rides within next six months and our intention is to provide a unique experience to all who seek a good time. With the country's situation improving there will be a growing demand for entertainment activities, he said.

Oscar Award winner inaugurates Apollo Children's hospital

Oscar Award Winner, Dr. A.R. Rahman inaugurated the Apollo Children's Hospital, the First Standalone Quaternary Care Paediatric Hospital in the Apollo Hospitals Group. Apollo Hospitals Group is the Asia's most trusted healthcare provider and has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting edge research.

The Apollo Children's Hospital is designed to provide comprehensive pediatric care to children and adolescents up to 16 years all under one roof. Established on a built up area of 39,000 sq.ft, it is complete with a neonatology care unit, pediatric intensive care facilities, state-of-the-art operating rooms including facility for complex cardiac surgeries, procedure rooms, laboratory services, dedicated clinics for chronic ailments, preventive healthcare, developmental disorders and counseling services, an NICU, Isolation ward, three operation theaters, sunshine ward, cheerful private rooms and tasteful suites. The hospital is staffed with 45 of India's finest pediatric specialists and over 180 nurses.

Dr. A.R. Rahman said, "Apollo's new paediatric hospital is like a symphony with numerous centres of excellence, highly skilled doctors, caring nurses, state-of-the-art technology and an incredibly child friendly ambience. I am sure that this harmony will enable boundless possibilities and make medical marvels happen everyday."

Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Salman Al-Khalifa visited Zam Gems on his recent visit to Sri Lanka. A spokesman for the company said having taken a keen interest in the striking designs and attractive patterns on display, Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Salman Al-Khalifa showed his appreciation of Sri Lanka’s gems and jewellery based craftsmanship and called upon Zam Gems to open a franchise shop in Bahrain in the near future. Having started from humble beginnings in 1979 Zam Gems has evolved within 30 years to become one of the most sought after merchandisers of Sri Lanka’s gems and jewellery. Zam Gems has outlets in Colombo, Kandy and at the BIA departure area apart from those at the five star hotels in Colombo.

Minister of Export Development and International Trade Prof G.L. Peiris, was the principal speaker at the recent meeting of the Sri Lanka-France Business Council. Minister Peiris, French Ambassador Michel Lummaux and President of the Sri Lanka-France Business Council Nirmalie Samaratunga at the event.




Thursday, August 2009	EMAIL \| PRINT \| FEEDBACK

BoC, Maliban Milk Products team up