Taj Airport Garden Hotel gets festive for the season!

FESTIVITIES: Taj Airport Garden Hotel Seeduwa unveiled a series of festivities for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year holiday season.

General Manager Sanjay Singh said that celebrations commence with the arrival of the 'Sweet Chariot' in the hotel's lobby on December 15 laden with seasonal delicacies and goodies such as Chunky Chocolate Yule Logs, traditional Breudheurs, Mince Pies, Christmas Puddings, Cakes, Cookies etc.

"Christmas trees and the strains of Yuletide carols in the background until New Year's Day enrich the ambiance," he added.

The Kiddies Christmas Carnival, the following day, invites children to the magical world of 'Paradise Island' with a carnival of fun and games.

Watch Uncle Sinbad zap you with his magical powers, dive into the world of Sponge Bob and his pal Patrick, visit home sweet Pineapple, watch cartoons at the Little Mermaid Movie Theatre, have a feast at Goofy Goober Ice Cream parlour, join Nimo to look for hidden treasure around fun island, while Santa Claus joins in with gifts for everyone.

"The Taj Airport Garden celebrates the spirit of traditional Christmas with a gala Christmas Eve dinner replete with an exotic spread of delicacies including roasted stuffed turkey, smoked ham, duck in orange sauce, a variety of salads etc as a live band enlivens the ambiance and a bonfire keeps the chill away", Singh said.

Christmas lunch offers a gastronomic voyage of seasonal delicacies with a complimentary bottle of Wine for every table of 4 people or more, and a bottle of Scotch for every table of 10 or more.

31st night takes on the multi faceted dimension of life under the cool blue waters of the ocean. Themed 'Dive Into 2007 and Rock and Roll On The Ocean Floor', the exciting psychedelic experience takes guests to the depths of the ocean on New Year's Eve in a whirlpool of fun and games, with return air tickets among the prizes, and fireworks at midnight.

Pumping up the music for dancing till dawn on new Year's Day will be Mumbai's popular DJ D.K. (A.K.A. Dhananjay) and Sri Lanka's singing sensation Judy with 'Ecstasy'.

Dr. Anil Vitarana to receive Connie Award

AWARD WINNERS: The Containerisation and Intermodal Institute has chosen Anil Jay Vitarana, President of United Arab Agencies Inc., and Phillip C. Yeager, founder and Chairman of Hub Group Inc., as the recipients of its 2006 Connie Awards.

The recipients will be honoured at a lunch on December 11 at The Newark (N.J.) Club.

Yeager and Vitarana are being honoured for careers that have embraced containerisation in world trade and transportation, according to Sue Coffey, President of CII.

Vitarana, a native Sri Lanka, has been in his present position for 11 years, overseeing nine offices in North America for the national shipping line of six Persian Gulf countries. He has also held leadership positions in the various shipping conferences that represent his country's service routes.

He began his career in shipping with the Central Freight Bureau of Sri Lanka in 1973 and was transferred to the Ceylon Shipping Corporation as General Manager in 1983. He joined United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) in Kuwait in 1986 and was relocated to their U.S. organisation in 1989.

In addition to the awards, CII will be awarding the Thomas B. Crowley Scholarship, funded and managed by Crowley Maritime, and the CII Scholarship to a cadet at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at kings point, N.Y., which is funded by Connie proceeds and is managed by CII.

SriLankan Airlines' veteran staff celebrate a quarter century of excellence

SERVICE: SriLankan Airlines' honoured six hundred and fifty-three longstanding members of its staff with ceremonies around the airline to thank them for their many years of dedicated service.

Sixty-six employees who completed 25 years of service this year, were feted by the airline's management at the Airport Garden Hotel on November 16 where Peter Hill, the CEO, presented each of them with a beautiful commemorative plaque, a gold coin and a certificate.

Peter Hill, CEO, said: "SriLankan is one large family and I'm very proud to work with such a great bunch of people.

The airline industry is always a challenging one, and these members of our staff have done wonders over the years to see SriLankan through tumultuous times. It is by their efforts that SriLankan has become a world-class carrier with a reputation for excellence".

They were the third group to complete a quarter-century at the 27-year-old National Carrier, with the first two groups in 2004 and 2005.

Sunil Dissanayake, Head of Human Resources, said: "Every organisation needs to have a core group of staff whom it can depend upon over the years, and SriLankan Airlines is indeed fortunate to have so many fine employees". Virtually every department in the airline had recipients of the 25-year awards.

Lalith Cabraal of the Inflight Service Delivery Department, who was one of the recipients, said: "It takes a special breed of people to have such loyalty to one's company in the modern corporate world, and it is heartwarming to have the airline recognise our contribution".

Employees who completed 25 years included six overseas recipients from Paris, Dubai, Madras, and Singapore.

Eva Planck, a member of the staff in the airline's Paris office, who travelled to Colombo for the occasion, said: "When I joined SriLankan I never thought I would be with this Airline for 25 years. But I've definitely enjoyed working for the airline. It has been very challenging at times, but always enjoyable".

Sumith Wijeratne, Manager of the airline Ticket Office in Galle, who also celebrated 25 years, said: "This is one company which makes all of its staff feel that they are one big family, no mater whether you serve in Katunayake, Colombo, an outstation office in Sri Lanka, or overseas".

Meanwhile, celebrations were held in all departments of the airline for others who completed 20 years, 15 years, or 10 years this year.

SriLankan conducts staff development programme

PROGRAMME: The seventh Staff Development Programme conducted by SriLankan Airlines for members of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) was held from October 30 to November 4. This intake included 22 participants from TAASL member companies.

The Awards Presentation of the Program was held on November 17, at the Holiday Inn Hotel. Patrick de Hoedt of Upul's Travel Service (Pvt.) Ltd. topped the batch by obtaining the highest score.

The Staff Development Program is conducted subsequent to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into between SriLankan Airlines and the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka to train up to 200 staff members on fares and ticketing and 190 staff of TAASL member companies have been trained to date.

Formula Plus Good Driver Competition 2006 for the 'IGP Challenge Trophy', a huge hit among driving enthusiasts

COMPETITION: The Formula Plus Good driver competition 2006 which got under way at Greenpath over the weekend, proved to be resounding success with several winners being awarded certificates and trophies for their driving skills.

Bri Ponnambalam was the overall winner of the IGP Challenge Trophy at the grand awards ceremony held at Water's Edge.

The Formula Plus Good Driver Competition organised by Sri Lanka Insurance and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club together with the Sri Lanka police was held for the second consecutive year to promote good driving habits in Sri Lanka.

The Formula Plus Good Driver Competition, an annual event of Sri Lanka Insurance saw more than 40 participants get into gear and view for the 'IGP' Challenge Trophy'.

Participants including males and females lined up opposite the Viharamadevi Park near Greenpath to be flagged off at around 9.30 a.m. last Saturday, setting the clock for a one and a half hour spin around Colombo.

The competition was a test of good driving habits and road values adhered to by motorists, while attention was also given to road rules and proper etiquette on roads.

Drivers were required to drive through a pre-defined route in 27km and complete their day's task covering Slave-Island, Galle Face, Bagathale Road, Thimbirigasyaye, Baseline Road, Narahenpita, Nawala, Rajagiriya and Borella before making their way back to the finish at Greenpath via Bambalapitiya, Thunmulla and Havelock.

Proper driving skills and driving habits were the key focus of the competition as unidentified observers were placed along the route, especially at critical points such as traffic lights, junctions and pedestrian crossings to observe and mark the participants on their driving.

Questionnaires were handed out by observers to participants in 'No Parking' areas to judge drivers on proper parking.

Finally, participants were put through a driving test at Town Hall, where they were given scores on manoeuvring and reversing their vehicles amidst traffic cones that were placed on route, given a short time frame of 95 seconds to judge the best driver.

The Formula Plus Good Driver Competition is an initiative aimed at promoting good driving habits among Sri Lankans, and was launched for the first time last year in response to the alarming high motor accident rate recorded in the country.

Suren Galagoda, Chief Operating Officer Technical, of Sri Lanka Insurance said, "Motor accidents in our country have reached unbelievable heights within the past few years and due to this reason many lives were lost.

It is our responsibility as a corporate to initiate actions to control this situation. With this thought in mind Sri Lanka Insurance and Ceylon Motor Sports Club jointly organised the Formula Plus Good Driver Competition 2006 and it was completed with great success.

Winners were announced at the special awards ceremony graced by the SSP Traffic, Lucky Peiris. The Runners-up trophy was handed out to Mahesh Jaysinghe, while awards were presented to eight 'Good Drivers' who had the vote of the judges.

Certificates were handed out to all competitors for their participation, with four special certificates being handed out to the lady drivers, appreciating their participation.

The newest event company in town

EVENT: Do you fret when it comes to organising a conference, press brief or cocktail if so don't, because there's a new company that's seen light of the earth which would take care of all your event requirements and so you can leave your worries behind.

E-Team (Pvt) Ltd, saw its inception on October 11. The occasion was graced by Mahinda Samarasinghe-Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights and Ravi Karunanayake Member of Parliament.

The only event company to own a state-of-the-art office complex in the outskirts of Colombo, is headed by two dynamic and versatile individuals namely Reggie Edirisinghe (Chairman) - Reggie Advertising which is an outdoor advertising specialist in Sri Lanka for over 15 years having dealt with all leading Companies, Government Institutions etc and Sanjaya Karunaratne (Director/GM) ex-Promotions and Merchandising Manager of Singer Sri Lanka.

The company offers a one stop party and event consultancy service by providing creative and innovative concepts whilst priding themselves in being original in all the events undertaken.

Working within agreed parameters, the company monitors every step to ensure the smooth running of the event, ensuring excellent organisation and meticulous attention to detail.

The company offers a wide spectrum of services which includes venue selection, prevent management and on-site management.

The services offered are Conferences, Seminars, Press Briefings, Product Launches, Product Promotions, Fashion Shows, Exhibitions, Sports Events, Musical Shows, Award Ceremonies, Chocktails, Stalls, Concerts and Theatre.

So what makes them different from the rest is that they offer a personalised service and pay individual attention and care about each event because they know how much it matters to you.

Laila Gunesekere Martenstyn wins Woman of Achievement in Advertising

ACHIEVEMENT: The Chief Operating Officer of Grant McCann Erickson and Executive Director of Response Marketing was recognised for her achievements in the field of advertising at a glittering ceremony organized by the Zonta Club of Sri Lanka.

Previously a winner of the H.K. McCann Award for Leadership Excellence, a winner of the 1000 voices programme for social marketing in New York and over 25 Advertising Awards, Laila has worked her way to the top of Sri Lanka's largest advertising agency and counts 20 years service at Grant McCann Erickson.

She is also the first Vice President of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies.

PC House honoured with Microsoft OEM Partner status

APPOINTMENT: PC House Pvt Ltd, Sri Lanka's leading IT solutions provider announced its appointment as an OEM Partner by the world's leading IT giant Microsoft, becoming the only company in Sri Lanka to enjoy such a status.

Among the privileges and benefits PC House will henceforth enjoy as being an OEM Partner are - world class branding for its PCs, a dedicated account team, deep strategic alignment with Microsoft, enhanced business operations efficiency, a comprehensive technical services portfolio and a focused marketing vehicle among others. With the OEM Partner Status, PC House is now on even terms with other global brands.

"We see this appointment as an endorsement of our commitment and dedication to providing customers a total solution in this mission critical industry", PC House Managing Director S.H.M. Rishan told a news conference in Colombo. "This is also a singular honour for the company, its portfolio of products and its operations in Sri Lanka.

As a direct consequence, we also interpret this as a parallel honour for our branded computer Panora, Sri Lanka's first ever locally innovated branded computer.

In fact Panora Computers also achieved another 'first' when our PCs qualified to carry the "Designed for Windows XP" Logo, by Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs.

This is a great achievement for a local brand and clearly demonstrates the world class quality of the Panora PC", he added. All Panora Computers will only carry Genuine Windows as the operating system, thereby, enhancing the customer experience greatly.

Country Manager Microsoft Sri Lanka (Pvt) Ltd Sriyani de Silva Wijeyeratne said, "It is my pleasure to announce that PC House, a Microsoft Gold Certified partner passes another milestone in its rapid progress with its Panora brand by becoming the first Sri Lankan company to become a Microsoft Original Equipment Manufacturer Partner.

In order to become an OEM Partner, stringent criteria has to be met. Panora computers were certified for the MS Windows Operating system and are the first locally manufactured PC to have achieved this status.

This goes to show that Panora is committed to maintain global industry standards. PC House will now have a direct relationship with Microsoft and compete on equal terms with international brands for a share in the branded PC market. PC Houses' strong business proposition that focuses on adhering to international standards and committing resources to building a quality brand will secure it a strong position in the local PC market.

Vice President, South East Asia, Microsoft Operations PTE Chris Atkinson said, "I wish to congratulate PC House Limited on its latest achievement on becoming one of Microsoft's OEM Partners. At Microsoft we believe in supporting and building local IT eco systems in the countries we operate.

I am happy to notice the rapid progress PC House has made in certifying its Panora brand, becoming a gold certified partner and now in becoming an OEM Partner. Since establishing our presence in Sri Lanka, we have been working closely with PC House.

Its latest achievement of becoming an OEM Partner will lay the foundation for an even closer relationship with Microsoft. We also appreciate Panora's commitments towards providing Genuine Software across all PCs.

Within the Microsoft Partner Programme, OEM Partners represent the highest level of competence and expertise with Microsoft technologies, and have the closest working relationship with Microsoft.

At this level, partners have access to the resources and support needed to stand out in the marketplace, including a Technical Service Coordinator, access to the Partner Knowledge base, priority listing in Microsoft Directories and other top-level benefits.

The flagship brand of PC House, Panora is a registered Trade Mark in Sri Lanka. The Panora Product Portfolio is well suited to today's applications and offers headroom for the next wave of technologies.

PC House has been regarded as one of the very few organisations, which has emerged, sustained and grown to be a force to reckon with in the PC business in Sri Lanka.

The company has seen an exponential growth during the last few years. In a relatively short period of Nine years, PC House has gained recognition as a key stakeholder in Sri Lanka's rapidly burgeoning sphere of information and communication technology.

Its services extend through 28 regional branch locations and service centres spread across the country from Jaffna to Matara, and Colombo to Trincomalee.

ICTA stresses the need of CMMi Quality Standards in the local ICT industry

A seminar supported by the ICT Capacity Building Programme (ICBP) was held by the Sri Lanka Association for the Software Industry (SLASI) recently for ICT companies on the use of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMi) to improve their business processes.

The ICBP, a US$ 5.3 million fund overseen by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), consists of several strategies that aim to provide a boost to the ICT industry.

CMMi is a certification programme that helps ICT companies integrate organisational functions, create quality processes and set process improvement goals and priorities.

CMMi is not merely an internal improvement tool but also helps in international marketing as companies in markets such as the UK and US look to these certifications to ensure that an organisation they partner with can provide the level of quality and service they require.

To create awareness amongst Sri Lanka companies regarding the CMMi, the ICBP supported SLASI in conducting a breakfast seminar for CEOs and senior level management of ICT companies. The seminar, held at the Trans Asia Hotel on November 28, 2006, was conducted by a trainer from KPMG India.

Reactions from the attendees were very positive.

As one attendee put it, "We really received an insight into the whole process of certification." Fayaz Hudah, Programme Manager, ICTA said, "Quality certifications such as CMMi have become a base standard that foreign companies look for when choosing partners to outsource work. It is also important to note that they are applicable for all sizes of companies, and the myth that such certification is only for large companies was laid to rest at this seminar."

The ICBP programme will also support companies who wish to obtain quality certifications under a different strategy. Further details could be obtained by contacting Channa Manohara, COO, PriceWaterhouseCoopers on 4719838.

The CMMi process consists of a number of layers of maturity and at the highest level, companies are said to be at the peak of their productivity, profitability and success.

If the Sri Lankan ICT industry is to meet its US$1 billion revenue target, many such companies are required and the goal of the ICBP is to pave the way to their ultimate success.

The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka, functioning under the Presidential Secretariat is the single apex body involved in ICT policy and direction for the nation.

It is the implementing organisation of the e-Sri Lanka initiative.

Water dominates Holcim Lanka Awards 2006

AWARDS: Water dominated the Holcim Lanka Awards 2006 held under the theme "Water, earth and life" at the BMICH recently.

At this premier celebration of the construction industry's excellent efforts on community and national development, the coveted Best Project Award went to the construction of a salinity barrier across the Gin Ganga under the Greater Galle Water Supply Project, giving access to good quality drinking water some 200,000 from the Galle District, and five projects received Merit Awards.

Among the 600 attendees to this evening graced by Manilal Fernando and Peter Spirig (Chairman and Managing Director of Holcim Lanka) were representatives from the local construction industry, university academics, researchers and students, media personnel, representatives from the parent company Holcim Ltd., global Holcim Foundation, Holcim Group companies overseas, and employees of Holcim Lanka.

Cement's crucial role in society is clearly reflected in Holcim' vision "Providing foundations for society's future."

Cement is widely used for construction of infrastructure for providing the basic needs for the human kind, such as housing, bridges and roads for access and transportation, schools and universities for education, hospitals for medical treatment.

"In recognizing outstanding innovations and initiatives that deliver basic human needs for communities and Nation as a whole, Holcim Lanka Awards focused not on the size of the projects but on the significance of their contribution to uplift the living standards of the communities they serve", reveals Rathika de Silva (Head of Sustainable Development, Holcim Lanka), who initiated in the year 2000 Sanstha Awards (which later became Holcim Lanka Awards) in order to emphasize the cement's role in society through recognising the local construction industry's outstanding efforts on community and National development.

The Best Project Award went to the construction of a salinity barrier across the Gin Ganga under the Greater Galle Water Supply Project.

CML Edwards Construction Ltd, Ceywater Consultants (Pvt) Ltd and National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) received this coveted award for their role in construction, consultancy and design, respectively.

This project ensured an efficient water supply service for over 200,000 people from the Galle district, delivering good quality drinking water, and a safe footpath across the Gin Ganga for the local communities.

The two bridges built across the river have shortened the walking distances by as much as ten kilometers, offering relief especially for schoolchildren.

Five projects won Merit Awards:

Holcim Lanka Merit Award to Transwater Engineering (Pvt) Ltd for solving the drinking water problem of the communities in Anuradhapura: Upgrading the Anuradhapura integrated water supply scheme, this project enhanced the storage capacity of the system and provided it with a new transmission center.

While making possible the provision of 6000 new pipe-borne water connections, this upgrading increased the number of people it serves to some 30,000.

Holcim Lanka Merit Award to Jetwing Hotels Engineering Department and Architect Sunela Jayawardana for innovative use of Holcim Pedereru cement for construction of VIL UYANA Hotel, Sigiriya: With the unique concept of blending with the natural environment instead of changing it, VIL UYANA Hotel co-exists with its natural environment, comprising the paddy land, forest and canals.

This project innovatively used a Holcim product to bring out the unique aesthetic character of the hotel. A novel type of plaster, prepared by mixing termite soil and Holcim Pedereru cement, was applied on the conventional cement/sand plaster.

Then, a special "eco-paint", prepared by mixing termite soil with the same cement, was applied on the walls.

Holcim Lanka Merit Awards to ELS Construction (Pvt) for innovative application of pre-cast products for development activities: In any country's endeavour for development, pre-cast concrete technology plays a pivotal role due to its special capabilities, such as cost-effectiveness and speedy installation.

In order to reap the maximum benefit it offers, this company innovatively uses pre-cast concrete technology for affordable housing and infrastructure facilities - such as roads and railways, water and irrigation, educational and health facilities, and electricity - with the aim of uplifting the living standards of people while developing the local construction industry.

Holcim Lanka Merit Award to International Construction Consortium Ltd for construction of the production center of Durra Building Systems: This project constructed a production center in Polonnaruwa for manufacturing a new type of building material out of straw, which is a waste material of the paddy farming. Its widespread burning causes environmental pollution.

This new material, called "Durra Building System," is strong, durable, versatile, fire-resistant and easy to install.

Holcim Lanka Merit Award to Taisei Corporation for improvement of the water supply system in Matara District: Expanding the water supply service in Matara district, this provided pipe-borne water connections to 20,000 people and ensured round-the-clock water supply for the existing consumers.

This project's sludge lagoon structure is the fist of that kind in Sri Lanka. It prevents silting of the irrigation canals and natural streams an the retained sludge can be used as rich organic fertilizer.

"This year, as Holcim celebrates a decade of its presence in Sri Lanka, beginning as Puttalam Cement Company Ltd in 1996, the event ventured into the university domain, recognizing outstanding university projects by final year undergraduates with potential for community and national development," said Peter Spirig, Managing Director, Holcim Lanka.

Next year, the competition will open for the other university projects that contribute to community and national development.

Another feature this time is the strong link established with the Global Holcim Awards competition, which celebrates excellent efforts on sustainable construction round the world. Mr. Edward Schwarz, Head of global Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, presented an overview on Holcim Awards at Regional and Global level.

He acknowledge that the Global Holcim Awards competition, began in 2004, was inspired to a significant extent by the Holcim Lanka Awards (formerly SANSTHA Awards).

At the Global Holcim 2006 held in Bangkok Thailand in April 2006, a total of one million US dollars was awarded as prize money for four projects.

Manilal Fernando, Chairman, Holcim Lanka, observed that the event continued to grow in stature every year since its launch in 2000 as SANSTHA Awards.

Entries for next year awards will open from June 2007.

More information could be obtained from www.holcimfoundation.org.

IFC becomes first intermediary to deliver carbon reductions to Dutch Government

CARBON REDUCTIONS: The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has become the first intermediary to deliver Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) to the government of the Netherlands.

The CERs come from Eco Power, which is reducing emissions by displacing fossil fuel-based power generation from Sri Lanka's national grid with clean renewable energy generated by seven small, run-of-river hydroelectric projects.

IFC is one of four entities engaged by the Dutch government to procure carbon credits for meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.

The IFC-Netherlands Carbon Facility (INCaF), a joint initiative of IFC and the Dutch government, signed an Emissions Reductions Purchase Agreement with Eco Power in August 2005.

The bundling is projected to enable Eco Power to sell around 115,000 CERs per year from a small hydro capacity of 31 megawatts. Iyad Malas, IFC's Director for South Asia, said, "IFC encourages the emerging markets' private sector to participate in the carbon market by providing value-added services to project sponsors.

As a global investor and advisor committed to developing a sustainable private sector in emerging markets, IFC is well positioned to help project sponsors participate in this new market."

The Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol has established certified emissions reductions as an asset class that can be traded in global community markets.

Eco Power Limited has implemented Clean Development Mechanism projects based on run-of-river hydro generation assets that are displacing fossil fuel-based generation in the Sri Lankan grid (mostly diesel and fuel oil).

Shilpa Patel, IFC's Manager for Sustainability Business Innovation, said, "We are pleased to support the commendable efforts of project developers such as Eco Power in dealing with the challenges posed by climate change."

Dr. Romesh Dias Bandaranaike, Director of Eco Power, explained, "IFC's carbon expertise helped us add a new carbon finance revenue stream from a AAA-rated counterparty for our small hydro projects."

JobsNet continues partnership with Neptune Publications

DIRECTORY: The 2nd edition of the Education Guide Sri Lanka is in circulation now. This is a comprehensive Directory of information, on Education and related services available in Sri Lanka. The publication is available in Sinhala, English and Tamil Medium.

This is a useful resource for students, parents, teachers and student counsellors particularly in identifying opportunities and Career paths available in the country.

The educational facilities from the pre-school stages to Post-Graduate level are listed in detail in the directory.

The publication carries information about the local school education system, university and vocational education system both in the Public/State and the private sector. It goes onto provide useful, generally unexplored areas available for alternate paths in education through a Career path flow chart.

The 2nd edition has a new feature on career path selection and covers 14 different areas of education ranging from Accountancy and Finance to Creative and Visual arts to Natural and Applied sciences.

This book is published by Neptune Publications (pvt) Ltd in association of JobsNet. JobsNet support for the publication is its recognition of the importance of making information available to the deserving public, on the many educational opportunities available in Sri Lanka.

Skilled Human Resource is an important economic driver, for any country today, and knowledge on where to go and what is available is still fairly unknown to the general public. The Education Guide Sri Lanka provides a comprehensive and useful directory in disseminating this information.