ADVERTORIAL

Sampath Bank in Kochchikade

Sampath Bank Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Anoja Karunaratne, opening the Kochchikade Branch. Trade Services Chief Manager Aruna Jayasuriya and Branch Manager Kapila Rajapakse look on

Located along the Colombo-Puttalam main road, six kms from Negombo, Kochchikade, was the latest addition to the list of Sampath Bank branches.

This was the 165th branch going into operation in recent times. A bank with commitment towards its customers, Sampath is ready to serve this mainly agricultural town with what it has made a name for, ‘dedicated service to its customers.’ With the opening of this branch the people of Kochchikade will have the opportunity of receiving excellent banking facilities with the concept of providing a service where the ‘Customer’s Interest Comes First’ in every sense.

SMB Leasing strengthens Directorate

SMB Leasing PLC (SMBL) has appointed a new Independent Non Executive Director and a Non-Executive Director to its Board of Directors with effect from November 9.

Thirunavukarasu Someswaran and Dr Thirugnanasambandar Senthilverl succeed E T L Ranasinghe and P A Jayawardena on the SMBL Board.

The new Directors T Someswaran and Dr T. Senthilverl

T Someswaran is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and serves as a Director on the Boards of Serendib Land PLC and Panasian Power Ltd. He was the founding partner of SJMS Associates, Chartered Accountants, a Multi Disciplinary Professional Firm, as an independent correspondent firm to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. He serves on the Boards of the International Chamber of Commerce and the European Chamber of Commerce.

He is also a fellow member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka and serves on its Governing Council.

Dr Senthilverl serves as a Director on the Boards of many institutions including Amana Takaful Insurance PLC, Lanka Ceramics PLC, Citizens Development Business Finance PLC, C W Mackie PLC and CT Land Developments PLC.

He has more than four decades of experience and active engagement in manufacturing, trading, land development, power and energy, industrial turnkey projects, construction and management.

“Dynamic and knowledgeable individuals of diverse backgrounds are an asset to any organisation,” said SMBL Executive Director Surath Peris. “These eminent individuals will add further depth and balance to our Board,” he said.

A Public Limited Liability Company incorporated in Sri Lanka on September 3, 1992 under the Companies Act No. 17 of 1982 and re-registered under the provisions of the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007, SMB Leasing is registered as a Finance Leasing establishment under the Finance Leasing Act No. 56 of 2000 (as amended).

The Company’s Ordinary (voting) shares have been listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange since 1993 and its non-voting shares since 2006.

3WGE changing destinies

The Sri Lankan population studying overseas has seen a tremendous growth during the past few years, opening opportunities to taste the life outside the country, gaining new knowledge to enhance future prospects in a student’s life.

Two of the education destinations that have seen a steady growth in popularity are Australia and New Zealand, where the qualifications are renowned for their high quality and international recognition as well as the multicultural population for their hospitability and friendliness. Australia holds five of the most livable cities in the world, while New Zealand’s population size is one fourth of Sri Lanka and has four times the land which is green, lush and clean.

One of the main attractions of New Zealand Education is its privileges for PhD students who could pay the same subsidized fees as New Zealanders while their spouses can work fulltime and children get education for local rates. This option is mostly sought after by students who are interested in settling down in New Zealand.

A large portion of students who have the minimum requirements to enter our local universities are left with nowhere to go due to the high demand. However, with the foreign universities opening their doors to our students, they are given a second chance in realizing their dreams.

3WGE as the agent to most Universities and Institutes in Australia and New Zealand plays a vital role in assisting a student to realize his or her dreams of studying overseas. 3WGE is an associate company of 3rd Wave Consulting (Pvt) Ltd., the leading management consulting and training provider working closely with leading industries and blue chip companies in Sri Lanka and Bahrain.

Since 3WGE’s inception it has reached new heights, having the privilege of being a Streamlined Agent of the Australian High Commission, authorized to grant pre-visa as well as a New Zealand Specialist Agent authorized to represent New Zealand education in Sri Lanka. With the increasing number of agents that has taken advantage of students’s interest in studying overseas, 3WGE stands out as a genuine agent who has an exceptional rate of visa approvals, making it one of the most trusted agents for students and parents. Students and parents need extensive assistance in fulfilling visa requirements to obtain student visas. With the guidance provided by 3WGE staff, students are able to follow a smooth transition from Sri Lanka to the country of their choice. 3WGE has a branch in Kandy with the objective of assisting students living out of Colombo.

From the time a student walks in to 3WGE till that student lands in the respective country, 3WGE has always walked by their side guiding, encouraging and supporting the student to reach his or her destiny. 3WGE students keep in contact even after they settle down in their chosen countries, updating the staff of their well-being.

3WGE provides an efficient service in a homely environment to those who seek timely and accurate information and guidance.

Cargills Food City marks 27th anniversary

Cargills Food City, 148 outlets Islandwide, is celebrating its 27th anniversary. The first Cargills Food City Supermarket was opened in 1983 at Staple Street. This year, to reward its customers; Cargills Food City will be giving away Rs seven million worth of gold.

The grand gold give away promotion was launched on October 21 and continued till November 16 at all Cargills Food City Supermarkets.

Rs 27,000 worth of gold is given away as instant rewards for 160 customers and Rs 100,000 worth of gold as grand prizes are to be given away for 27 customers.

Cargills (Ceylon) PLC Retail Chief Operating Officer-Sidath Kodikara said “Twenty seven years ago, when we opened the country’s first Cargills Food City we began what was to be a revolutionary change in Sri Lanka’s retail landscape. By opening the doors of the supermarket to the people of Sri Lanka we have impacted the quality of life of millions of Sri Lankans.

With the support of our customers we created markets for more than 10,000 farmers and empowered more than 2000 entrepreneurs who have gone on to find opportunity in the global market. We now reward our customers through this special promotion for their support in elevating Cargills Food City from supermarket to a partner of our nation’s progress.”

“To add more excitement there would also be 727 instant bill wipe-outs for customers who purchase goods using their Sampath Bank Credit Cards and Visa debit card. Furthermore, during the December Christmas season, customers can look forward to many more exciting rewards from Cargills Food City” Cargills (Ceylon) PLC Retail Marketing Manager Sanjeewa Fernando said.

Laugfs on aggressive promotional drive

The Laugfs Gas Limited will embark on an aggressive promotional campaign to increase its customer base.

The company will conduct a promotional campaign to give cylinders to the customers at an attractive price. It will work towards converting the share holders of the recently held IPO to customers by providing more benefits, Laugfs Holdings Limited Chairman W K H Wegapitiya told Daily News Business.

“Our fundamental is not to compete on retail price. We have the assurance from the Government that it will not compete with the private sector. Therefore, price will be a factor to attract new customers while retaining the existing customers,” he said.

Laugfs Gas has become a rapidly growing PLG industry player in the country. With its successfully held IPO, the company plans to showcase the country as a potential investment destination. The funds will also be used to create value for the benefit of the shareholders.

“We are inline with the projected performance. In 2009, 195 metric tons were sold while in 2010 the consumption increased up to 225 metric tons. There is an increase in consumption of 10 to 15 percent annually. The company records 25 percent growth in all LPG related sectors and expects the growth momentum to continue,” Wegapitiya said.

Laugfs accounts for 72 percent of total domestic business in the Western Province and the market share is well distributed at present. The plantation sector has a huge demand for gas consumption with the changing of life styles.

The entire industry at the macro level is growing in terms of domestic, industrial and automobile. The company will initiate action to absorb new customers and switching customers to widen the customer base.

The Government-owned Litro Gas company and the Laugfs Gas has space to grow.

The Government vision being the promotion of private sector, Laugfs Gas will benefit from the healthy competition. There are indications that the country’s energy sector will further grow with the development drive taking place, he said.

“We have a clear policy framework to revise prices every two months. The company will re-align the management structure and accounting policies to visualize a clear view of accounts. We will work towards making Laugfs a regional brand,” he said.

SJ

Prizes for ComBank’s ‘e-Exchange’ recipients

This festive season, the Commercial Bank will reward 100 people with cash prizes totalling Rs 2.5 million for using the Bank’s super-convenient ‘e-Exchange’ money transfer service.

Sri Lanka’s benchmark private bank has announced that 100 recipients of remittances via this popular Instant Money Transfer Service will win Rs 25,000 each under this promotion.

All beneficiaries of remittances made between November 15 and January 15 will automatically go in to a grand draw which will be conducted at the end of the promotion period, the bank said.

Commercial Bank also presented Rs 2.5 million in cash to winners of an e-Exchange promotion conducted during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season this year.

“The extensive island-wide network of Commercial Bank branches, a significant number of which are open even on public, bank and mercantile holidays, has made e-Exchange a preferred choice for recipients of foreign remittances,” Commercial Bank’s e-Banking Senior Manager Pradeep Banduwansa said.

Recipients of remittances can collect proceeds from any of Commercial Bank’s 185 computer-linked branches and access their funds through the Bank’s ATM network of 385 terminals, which is the largest cash-dispensing system in the country.

Remitters can access this sophisticated yet cost effective real-time online money transfer facility through a network of agents spread across the world. In addition to these agents, Commercial Bank has placed Business Promotion Officers (BPOs) in Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Dubai and Saudi Arabia to assist remitters.

SLASSCOM, Motorola to promote software skills

Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies Centre of Excellence for Mobile and Telecom with Motorola Technologies Lanka, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Inc are organizing an Enterprise Mobility Application Software Development Competition for the IT Undergraduates of Sri Lankan Universities and University affiliation colleges.

The aim of this competition is to explore, expose and promote innovative skills of our Undergraduates and thereby to prepare Sri Lanka to be a leading Mobile Application Development Centre in the world, said Motorola R&D Centre Director and Country Manager for Sri Lanka Anuradha Tennakoon.

At the finals to be held on December 6 at Colombo University, the talented Undergraduates from Universities of Ruhuna, Moratuwa, Colombo, Kelaniya, Peradeniya, APIIT, SLIIT and IIT will compete to prove their innovative Enterprise Mobility Application Development skills where winners and all participants will be awarded with cash rewards and certificates endorsed both by Motorola and SLASSCOM.

Camlin joins Hayleys

The World of Hayleys has entered into a new realm of colour and creativity in partnership with one of India’s most recognized stationery and art brands, Camlin.

The Blue Chip conglomerate’s consumer specialist Hayleys Consumer Products Limited (HCPL) has been appointed sole distributor for the 79 year old heritage company known in Sri Lanka for products under its own name and the brand ‘Camel’.

Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage and Camlin Chairman Dilip Dandekar formalize the partnership in the presence of senior representatives of the two companies.

Hayleys will initially distribute and market Camlin’s ‘Back to School’ range comprising high-quality, non-toxic crayons, colouring pencils, water colour cakes, lead pencils, and instrument boxes in Sri Lanka, and progressively extend the portfolio to encompass the extensive 2000 plus product offering available.

“These are products that stimulate creativity and make a child’s education pleasurable,’ Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage said at a colour-themed launch of the partnership in Colombo.

“It is an area of business that calls for a very interactive and imaginative approach, and Hayleys looks forward to representing Camlin to its full potential,” he said.

Camlin Chairman and Managing Director Dilip Dandekar, whose father founded the company in 1931 with ‘Horse’ brand ink powders and tablets, said the biggest success the brand had achieved in India was the fact that three generations have used its products. “Our association with our customer starts at the pre-school age, and we have a product range for every level as the customer grows older,” he said.

Hayleys Consumer Managing Director Rizvi Zaheed said Camlin is an important addition to the list of global brands represented in Sri Lanka by HCPL.

The launch of the Hayleys - Camlin partnership themed ‘The Power of Colour’ also included a presentation for key HCPL distributors, dealers and sales staff on child psychology and art by child art specialist Yamuna Kaluarachchi.

Singer Finance in Anuradhapura

Singer Finance Lanka Ltd. (SFLL) opened its latest branch in Anuradhapura recently. The chief guest, Singer (Sri Lanka), Sales Director Kumara Samarasinghe was joined at the branch opening by Senior Management executives from the Singer Group, local businessmen, as well as Singer Finance customers.

Established in 2004 to bring Singer’s tradition of trusted excellence to the Sri Lankan finance sector, Singer Finance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC and is registered with the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under the Finance Company Act No. 78 of 1988. Its dynamic product portfolio is extensive and includes acceptance of public deposits, vehicle leasing, vehicle hire purchase, three-wheeler and agro-equipment financing. Befitting its strong relationship with its parent company, Singer Finance is also the market leader in providing group credit loans on consumer electronic appliances.

Having leveraged the power of Singer to bring a new standard of professionalism to the finance industry, Singer Finance has quickly risen to a leadership position. Indeed, the company has achieved an exponential growth in business as well as profitability over the last five years, proof of its reputation for innovative service and stability.

Singer Finance’s branch network has also grown quickly, with locations in Kurunegala, Kandy, Matara, Wennappuwa, Wattala, and now Anuradhapura. It also has 6 customer service centres in Galle, Mahiyanganaya, Thambuththegama, Madawachchiya, Nikaweratiya and Dambulla.

HDFC Bank plants trees

Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage and Camlin Chairman Dilip Dandekar formalize the partnership in the presence of senior representatives of the two companies.