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EWIS donates Computer Lab to IDP children

According to a concept introduced by the First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, EWIS together with the Siriliya Saviya Organization donated a fully equipped computer centre for internally displaced children in Vavuniya on June 27.

The First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa opened the "Siriliya Sewana" Girls' Home in Vavuniya along with the EWIS "Mithuru PC" computer lab.

Siriliya Sewana will provide shelter to nearly 150 children under the age of 10 years. All selected children were among the IDPs in the Northern Province who were left orphaned by the war.

Mithuru PC computer laboratory is a fully-equipped centre which will unlock a new world for the internally displaced children.

EWIS will also provide a trainer for the laboratory to enhance the children with ICT knowledge. Mithuru PC is a new product of EWIS which is user-friendly, eco-friendly, budgets friendly and easy to maintain.

Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama, the Chairman of EWIS Group of Companies Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, Senior DIG of Police Nimal Lewke, Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, Major Generel G A Chandrasiri and the Director of EWIS Group of Companies Ms. Roseanne Wijayanayake were also present.

E-WIS carries out many CSR activities of this nature and this is one such activity organized as part of their CSR initiative, e-Praja Kirana with the vision of 'Eliminating barriers between the urban and the rural'.

GSK adjudged Best Supplier for SPC

The GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK), pharmaceuticals and vaccines company in Sri Lanka, has been adjudged Best Supplier-DHS Sector for 2008-09 at the annual Suppliers Convention of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).

The award presented by Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva is based on the company's record in several key areas including timely supply, accurate quantities, value and responding to urgent orders. GSK Pharmaceuticals Sri Lanka Managing Director Stuart Chapman said: "We are pleased by the acknowledgement of GSK as a reliable and responsible supplier to the SPC, that is implicit in this award. In many parts of the world, GSK is an acknowledged benchmark for quality and ethical business practices, and Sri Lanka is no exception."

GlaxoSmithKline has been doing business in Sri Lanka for over 55 years and set up one of the country's first pharmaceuticals manufacturing plants in the late 1950s. The world's leading pharmaceuticals and vaccines company, GSK operates in 114 countries. Globally, 1,100 prescriptions are written for GSK products every minute. In 2008 GSK Biologicals distributed 1.1 billion doses of vaccines in 176 countries, at an average of 3 million doses a day. GSK is also the only pharmaceuticals company to tackle the three "priority" diseases identified by the World Health Organization (WHO): HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Last year, GSK became one of the first companies to be awarded the new CommunityMark by the UK organisation Business in the Community (BITC). The Mark has been given to GSK for work at a local and national level in the UK as well as for larger international programmes. The CommunityMark recognises the best companies with regard to their investment in the community.

IELTS celebrates twenty years

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is proud to celebrate its twentieth anniversary in 2009, marking its unprecedented international growth and success in setting the standard of English language proficiency for Higher Education and migration.

Since IELTS was introduced in 1989, it has developed into a global leader, with annual candidate numbers rising to well over one million in 2008, and accepted by over 6,000 organisations worldwide.

Director of the British Council Sri Lanka, Gill Westaway is pleased with this achievement as she was part of the team that developed the test in 1989, working between colleagues in the UK and Australia's IDP, who bought into the jointly owned test and made it truly international.

He said, "IELTS is bigger and more influential than those of us involved in the development process could ever have imagined, and I remain very proud indeed to have been associated with the launch of a product that has become such a global giant.

I hope that it can continue to prosper despite new competitor challenges looming on the horizon".

Nearly 20,000 candidates sat IELTS in Sri Lanka during 2008 and they generally performed well - the average score for Sri Lankan candidates was 6.14 for the Academic module (which assesses whether a candidate is ready to study or train in English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level) and 6.04 for the General Training module.

With over 6,000 organisations worldwide accepting IELTS scores, it opens doors for candidates throughout the English-speaking world.

It has become even more international on the back of sweeping recognition throughout the US, where over 2000 institutions, including all the Ivy League colleges, now welcome IELTS scores.

Cathay launches Bangkok bonanza

Cathay Pacific has laid out a package studded with a host of free offers for business travellers. The spouse and children can also join in at twin sharing basis.

The exclusive Bangkok Bonanza for Business Travellers package is for two nights including return economy class air ticket, accommodation with breakfast with a wide choice of Three-star, Four-star and Five-star hotels, return airport transfers with a dazzling galaxy of free offers that specially benefit business travellers including a SIM card for convenient overseas calls, meal voucher at KFC, a city and temple tour with drop at MBK Shopping Mall or JJ Market plus snacks to ward off hunger pangs during the airport drop.

Cathay is also introducing a brand new hotel, Citin Pratunam featuring 126 fully appointed guest rooms designed for comfort and convenience.

Passengers staying at this hotel are entitled to a free lunch or dinner and also enjoy its complimentary shuttle service using Bangkok's famous tuk-tuks.

A discount voucher at King Power Duty Free Shop is also included in the package.

Price excludes taxes. Travellers enjoying this bonanza get an extra 10-kg baggage allowance that will come in very handy after a business tour or a mammoth family shopping spree.

Cathay is represented in Sri Lanka by Finlays Colombo PLC as General Sales Agents. Sales and Marketing Manager Ms. Ruhan Abbas spoke enthusiastically about Cathay's package specially designed for business persons.

"This is a bonanza for travellers with a host of free offers and the frequency and convenience of our flight schedules allow maximum hours for business meetings as well as time to enjoy shopping and the lovely sights the city offers.

ITN sponsors Cannes Young Lions

The Independent Television Network (ITN) came forward as the main sponsor of the participants at the Cannes Young Lions Competition and the Rodger Hatchuel Academy for 2009.

ITN extended its support with a sum of SLR 600,000 towards these participants in order to fund various costs incurred for the participation in this renowned advertising festival.

This is the first time ITN has come forward with a sponsorship of this nature in order to support the advertising industry.

The two participants of the Cannes Young Lions Competition 2009, Firzan Mulafer and Lalindra Amarasekera from Arc Worldwide, a part of the Leo Burnett network and Surani Perera from Leo Burnett, the participant for the Rodger Hatchuel Academy received this sponsorship from Anura Siriwardhana, Chairman ITN, recently. ITN's involvement in this endeavor reflects the organisation's commitment towards supporting the advancement of the advertising industry as well as the youth of the industry.

Chairman of ITN Anura Siriwardhana, said "this was a great opportunity for ITN to pledge its support towards the advertising arena in Sri Lanka.

Advertising is a key aspect of media and as the premiere television network in Sri Lanka ITN is proud to be associated with the sponsorship of young Sri Lankan talent for the world's most renowned advertising festival. It is through the promotion and upliftment of young talent that we could take Sri Lanka on to the global platform in every field" he concluded.