ADVERTORIAL

NSB SMILE customers all smiles in awarded cars

The Grand Draw, which was introduced under the program SMILE Suba Gaman by the National Savings Bank , in order to mark the accession of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the office of Presidency for the Second Term , was held with the participation of The First Lady Madam Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa, recently at the National Youth Services Centre, Maharagama.

The salient feature of this event was awarding of seven brand new motor cars to the winning customers of this SMILE Suba Gaman Grand Draw.

Accordingly, the Customers who opened a Smile Account with Rs 1,000 or maintained a balance of Rs 1,000 in the same account starting from November 15 to November 30, 2010, were eligible for this grand draw.

In addition to the above seven motor cars this SMILE Account also offers prizes worth of millions of rupees through a series of draws, once in every 3, 6 months and annually. The SMILE Account was introduced by The National Savings Bank and The Department of Postal as a joint project in order to enhance the volume of the savings of the people, which needs for the development of the country and to re-inculcate the Savings habit among the people of the counter.

At the Grand Draw of SMILE Suba Gaman, motor cars were won by the customers from the areas such as Gampaha, Ratnapura, Baddegama, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna, Ranala and Nittambuwa.

Postal Services Ministry Secretary A Jayasekera, NSB Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam, Working Director Deshabandu Sumanadasa Abegunawardhana, the rest of the Directors of the Board of NSB, along with GM and CEO H M Hennayake Bandara, National Youth Council Chairman Lalith Piyum Perera, the Senior Management of the NSB the Staff, invited customers and a large crowd participated at the event.

Coinciding with the SMILE Suba Gaman Grand Draw, the Sa Musical show of veteran artiste Dr Victor Ratnayake was also staged.

Lanka Orix joins ComBank

Lanka Orix Finance Company Ltd, a member of the LOLC Group, and Commercial Bank signed an agreement to install Commercial Bank’s ATM at identified branches of the LOLC Group.

This agreement was finalized at the Commercial Bank Head Office recently with the LOLC Group Deputy Chairman Ishara Nanayakkara, LOLC Group’s Managing Director and CEO Kapila Jayawardena, and Lanka Orix Finance Company Ltd CEO and Managing Director Brindely de Zylva representing Lanka Orix Finance Company Ltd. Commercial Bank was represented by its Managing Director Amitha Gooneratna, Operations Deputy General Manager Sanath Bandaranayake and Chief Information Officer Rohan Muttiah.

Commercial Bank has an ATM network of over 400 spread throughout the country.

The new partnership, while giving the opportunity for all savings accounts holders of Lanka Orix Finance Company to utilize the Commercial Bank ATM network for cash withdrawals, also helps to expand the Commercial Bank ATM network for greater ease of its card holders.

Thereby, customers of both Lanka Orix Finance Company and Commercial Bank will have the added benefit of accessing the ATM network from any location islandwide.

Commercial Bank Managing Director Amitha Gooneratna said “with this new partnership, Commercial Bank will expand its ATM network further to provide its customers greater benefits. This will be of added convenience to our customers as the new ATMs will be installed in strategic locations throughout the country.”

LOLC Group Managing Director Kapila Jayawardena said “savings account holders of Lanka Orix Finance Company will now have greater convenience through the new ATM network. We are looking at expanding our services further to offer our customers greater benefits.”

BRMS launches CAREER GUILD

Wasanthe K B Senanayake

Managing Partner and Consultant Business Resource Management Services

Sri Lanka as a country has two major problems at present. One is the unemployment of youth and the other is the non-availability of suitable staff to man the ambitious private and public sector projects that have commenced in the country. Even though they pose as two different problems in their own right, they are in fact only two sides of the same coin. A closer examination of the problems associated with the two issues will convince that they are not problems and are in fact solutions to one another.

The problem of the country’s employment should necessarily be solved through the private and Government sectors and the head of any organization will maintain that every vacancy they advertise has received a good response from suitably educated persons. But the problem was in finding a person suitably groomed for the position. At the national level we have this problem of graduates with no employment on the one hand and institutions badly in need of educated persons on the other.

BRMS believes, that the problem is not employment but employability; meaning that a void exists between the available job and the orientation of the people available to take up that job.

The expansion of the private sector that is anticipated with post war national economic planning, is supposed to be creating a large number of vacancies requiring more manpower to be channelled into the sector.

The private sector has to effectively survive globally and therefore has to be productive and sustainable and globally competitive. Hence the staff they recruit has to have the right attributes and the right attitudes that are of a high standard.

On the other hand the country’s educational system, which has never kept pace with the changing global scenarios is designed to generate academics for the country and not professionals to suit the requirements of the private sector. However, while appreciating the contributions of academics, for rapid economic growth there is a need for professionals who think globally and act accordingly to claim competitiveness.

Therefore, to remain competitive the private sector needs not only technically skillful youth but also the youth that understands the global business scenario and equip themselves with the right kind of mindset and attitudes together with other soft skills.

In fact the real gap exists when the prospective candidate the youth, does not understand the requirements of the employer, while the employer too cannot gauge well, the strengths of the youth. The youth has not had the right training to market his knowledge, skills etc which convinces the employer that he or she is the right candidate. In other words customizing his or her attributes to suit the employer’s job requirements is not part of the skills of the youth.

Customizing does not by any measure to be construed as fabrication but a style of presentation which is effectively understandable and directly hammering the head of the nail. Thus, a gap analysis is the requirement. Solution lies with effective ‘Career guidance’.

These programs not only should aim at building strengths to the youth to face challenges but offer methods to jettison all inhibitions and bring out all latent talents to the open. However, the youths get assimilated into the society at different levels depending on the levels of education they were finally able to accomplish for themselves. It should be understood that the youth who undergoes this most crucial transformation in their lives during this period has very little formal guidance by way of either career guidance or counselling.

In such circumstances formal guidance is not available and opportunities are limited in the modern global world. Therefore in such a situation, the youth are compelled to seek guidance through the informal channels such as the elders, relatives and friends.

A solution to this issue is that the youth needs a systematic and methodical guidance on the careers that will lead them to acquire soft skills that influence them on the behavioural patterns and attitudes and make them compatible to the modern global world of work.

Business Resource Management Services (BRMS) has emerged to address this issue, with its program CAREER GUILD.

CAREER GUILD is the career guidance and counselling arm of Business Resource Management Services (BRMS) a premier management consultancy and training and research firm located at 19/4, Swarna Road, Colombo 6 which offers a comprehensive repertoire of services for the aspiring youth of Sri Lanka.

A much felt need is to guide the youth effectively to achieve their core aspirations to forge ahead and make themselves compatible with their talents and exposure to the ‘world of work’. To fulfill this need CAREER GUILD has designed a unique enrichment program (Youth Enrichment Program) with special focus of sharpening the skills of the youth to enhance the employability both locally and abroad.

The opportune time for career planning will be from the O-Levels where the child begins career planning and perhaps in the most suitable time to seek proper guidance. CAREER GUILD therefore through this youth enrichment program will equip each individual youth with the necessary soft skills, the right attitudes and attributes to enable them to not only choose their careers but also to climb the ladder of success in keeping with their desires, aspirations and aptitudes.

Mobitel Smart awards three cars

ADD Three pictures and captions

Flood affected communities:

Fonterra assists relief efforts

Fonterra Brands Lanka is supporting the Government’s relief efforts to assist communities in the Eastern province and the North Central province areas of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa that have been affected by serious flooding.

In response to an appeal for aid by the Government, Fonterra is working closely with the Health Ministry and the Co-operative and Internal Trade Ministry to distribute Anchor milk powder and clean drinking water to shelter camps in these three districts.

The donations will be dispatched immediately and distributed to those in need via the Ministries’ on-ground operations in the cities.

Speaking at an official handover meeting with Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Co-operative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando in Colombo Fonterra Brands Lanka Managing Director Achyut Reddy said: “The severity of the recent floods has uprooted thousands of people from their homes and destroyed the livelihoods and food crops of communities. As national citizens, it is only right that we help to provide those people in temporary accommodation with the essentials that they need to remain healthy so that they can start to rebuild their lives.”

Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa districts were severely impacted by recent torrential rainfall. Ongoing relief efforts continue to reach over several thousands of people who have been affected so far.

ICASL to woo students at EDEX Expo 2011

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) will mark its presence at the eight EDEX Expo, the pioneering higher education and careers exhibition later this month, in its attempt to woo school leavers to join the institute and pursue a professional career in accountancy.

The ICASL, which is the country’s national professional Accounting body is also the Gold sponsor at the EDEX Expo 2011 scheduled to be held on January 22, 23 and 24, at BMICH Colombo and on January 26 and 27 in Kandy.

The institute which is the largest tertiary education establishment in the country, outside the university system, with a student base of 36,000, promotes business, finance and management studies in Sri Lanka, ensuring a high level of professional competence among its 4200 members and students.

The institute will use its stall at the exhibition to articulate the importance of obtaining the globally recognized ICASL qualification to stall visitors, while specially encouraging students both from commerce and non-commerce streams to pursue studies in the accountancy sphere at an affordable rate.

The ICASL qualification which is well recognized both locally and internationally, gives the student a thorough understanding on key subjects related to accounting such as accounting and finance, assurance and related services, performance measurement and reporting, strategic business management, and taxation and legal services which are key elements that sharpens and nurtures the capabilities of a competent accountant. The most important and unique feature of the ICASL qualification is the three year practical training period that a student has to undergo during his course of study.

The ICASL contributes significantly to the country’s national development in terms of the accounting profession and influences national policy formulation in areas related to the accountancy profession.

ICASL President Sujeewa Mudalige said accountants play a major role in most of the large companies in Sri Lanka with approximately 70 percent from the top 50 companies listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange having at least one member from the ICASL in their Board.

He also emphasized that employment opportunities were increasing for Chartered Accountants in all sectors of the economy. “Chartered Accountants are in high demand right now and play a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s economic outlook. ICASL qualified accountants also play a major role in some of the leading banking and insurance companies in the world,” he said.

Sierra Global deploys 1,000th base station site

Sierra Global Network Private Limited, a leading telecommunication infrastructure development and managed services company, completed the acquisition of its 1,000th base station site recently at the Munneswaram Kovil premises in Chilaw, Puttalam district.

Since its establishment, Sierra Global has undertaken end-to-end site acquisition services in the form of network planning, site search, required approval obtainment from concerned Government authorities to construct base stations and towers, other related telecommunication infrastructure as well as the obtainment of commercial power to the base station sites.

Currently, Sierra Global provides strategic support in this form to almost all the biggest names in telecom in Sri Lanka, which includes Airtel, Dialog, Mobitel, Hutch, Suntel and also, Lanka Bell.

Sierra Global Director and CEO Dr Arosha Fernando said “Having introduced the outsourced site acquisition model to Sri Lanka six years ago, we have been able to partner and provide much needed strategic outsourcing services to a number of network service providers in Sri Lanka.

At the core of our operations, we have relied on numerous winning international business models, which has enabled us to provide a robust service to our clients, which in turn, has provided greater efficiencies of scale to benefit the end consumer of telecommunication services. We are happy to have been afforded the opportunity to provide the telecommunications landscape of this country the required inpetus in the industry to empower more Sri Lankans with access to this vital service”.

Congratulating Sierra Global on the acquisition of its 1000th Base Station site Bharti Airtel Lanka CEO and MD Amali Nanayakkara said, “Crossing a significant milestone such as the completion of acquisition of the 1000th base station site is a commendable achievement, and I would like to congratulate the entire team at Sierra Global.

Strategic services of this nature not only provides greater efficiency for the telecommunications industry as a whole, but it also contributes vitally towards the development of local human capital in line with international standards.

“To be able to provide such world class services at a time when Sri Lanka is on the threshold of realising its global potential is deeply appreciative”.

A ceremony to commemorate the deployment of the 1000th base station site was held at the site premises at Chilaw’s Munneswaram Kovil premises, which also included the release of number of cattle meant for slaughter.

MphasiS Lanka appoints Regional Director

MphasiS, one of India’s largest and fastest growing IT services companies has appointed George Manuelpillai as Regional Director for their Sri Lankan arm, MphasiS Lanka. Manuelpillai will be involved in the regions’ overall revenue growth, working closely with corporate and statutory bodies to build a strong local presence for MphasiS Lanka. He will be responsible for managing the growth of the Sri Lanka business.

With over 15 years of professional experience, Manuelpillai joins MphasiS with strong expertise in software development, project management, account management and professional services delivery. A graduate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Hon) from the Southern California University, George began his professional career with Los Angeles Accenture.

During his tenure, he led teams in the areas of process and technology consulting with clients such as Toyota, Amgen, 20th Century Fox, Pacific Bell, Southern California Edison, Aerospace Corporation, International Rectifier, Hunt Wesson, Shine.com and Paramount Pictures.

He later joined Oracle Corporation where he played a key role in establishing Oracle-Sri Lankan operations. His significant industry experience has equipped him for his new role at MphasiS Lanka.

Manuelpillai said of his appointment, “This is a challenging role as our centre in Sri Lanka is an important part of our network of global delivery centres and is poised for exponential growth.

I am excited about managing growth in Sri Lanka to contribute to the country’s economic prospects.” MphasiS plans to become one of the largest IT/BPO/KPO operations in Sri Lanka. As of now the company has a strong presence across India, Singapore, China, Japan, Europe, North America and Australia; working with the aim of consistently delivering global Infrastructure Technology Outsourcing, Applications Services Outsourcing and Business Process Outsourcing services through a combination of technology know-how, domain and process expertise.

Cutting back deadly gases getting into air:

CleanCo emission test done on 3.7 m vehicles

CleanCo Lanka’s DriveGreen vehicle emission testing centres comprise fixed stations and mobile units spread across Sri Lanka which provide motorists emission testing certificates, mandatory for all vehicles on an annual basis.

CleanCo Lanka Limited is a subsidiary of the well-established local family owned company, Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. Having been in business since 2007, the company is one of only two companies with a five-year license to carry out annual emission tests for approximately 3.7 million registered vehicles in the country as of June 2010.

With the new import duties in effect from June 30, the expansion drive is timely as the total number of vehicles population is expected to increase drastically over the year.

According to a senior official at CleanCo Lanka, the DriveGreen expansion will continue in 2011 to increase its network to a total of approximately 115 locations by the end of 2011.

He also said that the push to cover more ground is an urgent one to serve more people in all corners of the island while current station facilities will be enhanced. No one knows the deadly cocktail of gases that spew from automobiles like we do and we feel that ours is a responsibility to protect our atmosphere, and make the country’s environment a better, healthier place for future generations.

Motor vehicle emissions are a significant source of pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that may cause dizziness, difficulty in breathing and death. Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides combine with sunlight to form ground level ozone (smog). Ozone can aggravate health problems for people with heart disease and breathing-related diseases such as asthma and emphysema.

It can be especially harmful to children and the elderly. A combination of un-burnt Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide, Oxides of Nitrogen combined creates and spreads a mixture that, when in excess quantity, causes automobile pollution. Basics like an untuned engine, worn out air filter, clogged injectors or a vehicle using faulty spark plugs result in a higher levels of emissions.

The senior official also quoted that based on their experience; nearly 25% of the energy output of the vehicular fuel goes unutilized on average in Sri Lanka.

To address this issue, DriveGreen stations are equipped to measure of individual vehicles fuel wastage and to advise their customers. DriveGreen maintains the highest standards of service delivery in all channels of operation.

He explained that vehicles require a green test prior to re-licensing and that all that required is a vehicle’s original Registration Document (CR) or original Vehicle Identity card (VIC), along with the vehicle. Should a vehicle be leased, the owner can do it from a CR or VIC copy which is certified by the leasing company. What’s more, anyone can bring the vehicle for testing provided with the required documents.

Through prompt service, reduced waiting time and efficient workforce, we strive to make the certification experience a pleasant one. We use only cutting edge technology from Environmental Systems Products (ESP) and we offer a streamlined solution which ensures accurate testing and a secure certification process that will help save fuel.

Respiratory diseases claim four million lives yearly:

Ismigen which cures infections launched in Lanka

Lallemand Pharma of Switzerland and Lifeline Pharmaceuticals announced today the launch of ISMIGEN (R) in Sri Lanka. ISMIGEN (R) is a Polyvalent Mechanical Bacterial Lysate (PMBL), also described as oral vaccine.

It is produced by Lallemand and recommended in the prevention of acute, sub-acute, recurrent or chronic infections of the upper and lower airways and of the bronchopulmonary tree. Respiratory infections represent today a major health concern around the world and one of the leading causes of mortality.

To support the launch of Ismigen, Lifeline Pharmaceuticals have organized a medical seminar in Colombo on January 15, dedicated to specialists of respiratory medicine: pneumologists, ENT, chest physicians. Respiratory Clinical Pharmacology Unit Chief Prof Mario Cazzola at the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’ and a recognized expert in respiratory medicine, will be giving a presentation about the rationale of using Polyvalent Mechanical Bacterial Lysates in the prophylaxis of respiratory infections.

Lallemand’s PMBL are recognized for their unique immunostimulating properties, demonstrated in several clinical trials. Mechanical bacterial lysates distinguish themselves from traditional chemical lysates by their production process: they are prepared from a large array of inactivated pathogenic bacteria via mechanical lysis.

When compared to chemical lysis, this process ensures optimal preservation of the pathogens’ antigens structure. This, combined with the large variety of pathogens used (13 strains), and its sublingual mode of administration, confer to ISMIGEN (R) optimal immunogenic activity.

Dubai shopping festival:

Emirates unveils special package

As the countdown begins to the 15th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the Colombo office of Emirates has supplemented the airline’s ‘Stay 4, Pay 3’ offer with attractive travel plus accommodation packages that will appeal to travellers from Sri Lanka.

Priced from Rs 84,800 per person on a double sharing basis, these packages include return airfare, taxes and three nights’ accommodation with breakfast and one extra night’s stay free, making a visit both cost effective and hassle free.

Taken in conjunction with the ‘Stay 4, Pay 3’ offer, under which guests who book four nights get one free, these packages including the cost of airfare convert to Rs 21,200 per person per night upwards at three, four and five-star hotels in Dubai.

Among the hotels on offer under these packages are the Highland City Hotel, the Marco Polo and the Hyatt Regency.

“Considering the fact that quality accommodation is guaranteed at a value-for-money price at a time when the demand for hotel rooms is at its peak, these packages are unbeatable,” Emirates Sales Manager in Sri Lanka, Ellepola said “They are possible only because Emirates is a principal sponsor of the Dubai Shopping Festival, an event it has supported from inception,” she said.

The special packages and the ‘Stay 4, Pay 3’ offer are valid for the duration of the festival, from January 20 to February 20.

Included in the package price are airport assistance on arrival at Dubai International Airport, an Arabian Adventures welcome pack, airport transfers to and from the hotel by private car, breakfast daily and all taxes and service charges.

Dubai has approximately 14 million square feet of shopping space in its malls, including the worlds’ largest shopping centre — the Dubai Mall. This year, more than 6,000 retail outlets and around 50 shopping malls are participating in the DSF, and visitors can enjoy tax-free shopping as well as discounts of up to 50 percent on a wide variety of items during the festival.

Besides these benefits, members of Skywards, the frequent flyer program of Emirates will earn 20 percent Bonus Skywards Miles when they book a minimum three-night’s DSF 2011 package.

All passengers on Emirates also enjoy generous baggage allowances of 30kg, 40kg and 50kg respectively on Economy, Business and First Class.

The winner of more than 400 top aviation industry awards, Emirates operates 21 flights a week from Colombo to Dubai. The Emirates network now comprises 108 destinations in 65 countries.

For more information or for bookings, please call 4704070 or visit www.emirates.com/lk

Careems opens two new jewellery stores

Careem Jewellers which recently celebrated 120 years in the gem and jewellery industry, announced the opening of two jewellery boutiques. The new stores are located at the Fortress Resort in Koggala, Galle and at the recently opened Jetwing Sea Hotel in Negombo. With the additional stores, Careems has a portfolio of five exclusive shops located at some of the premier hotels in Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the opening of the new outlets, the Careems Managing Director Shezard Careem stated ‘The post-war prospects for developing and expanding our business have been very encouraging. The Fortress Resort and the Jetwing Sea Hotel are two excellent properties which aim to provide their guests with an extraordinary vacation experience. This fits perfectly with our efforts to provide our customers with the finest jewellery and gemstones, coupled with high service standards and a luxury retail experience.’

Much thought has gone into the design of the stores and the interiors provide an elegant and comfortable ambience ideally suited to the guests at the hotel. A colour scheme of dark antique browns and Champagne complement the jewellery placed on bright displays.

At the Fortress store an intimate sitting area provides customers the opportunity to view the beautiful merchandise offered in a very relaxed environment.

With regard to future expansion, Shezard Careem states that the firm will continue to look for strategically suitable locations to open new outlets.

However, as all jewellery supplied by Careems is exclusively handmade and in order to ensure consistently high service standards, the company will continue to expand in a carefully planned manner. While Careems’ main store is located at the Hilton Colombo, opening a flagship store in central Colombo which will provide easy accessibility and a larger retail space is a future priority for Careems.

Flood affected communities:

Fonterra assists relief efforts

Fonterra Brands Lanka is supporting the Government’s relief efforts to assist communities in the Eastern province and the North Central province areas of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa that have been affected by serious flooding.

In response to an appeal for aid by the Government, Fonterra is working closely with the Health Ministry and the Co-operative and Internal Trade Ministry to distribute Anchor milk powder and clean drinking water to shelter camps in these three districts.

The donations will be dispatched immediately and distributed to those in need via the Ministries’ on-ground operations in the cities.

Speaking at an official handover meeting with Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Co-operative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando in Colombo Fonterra Brands Lanka Managing Director Achyut Reddy said: “The severity of the recent floods has uprooted thousands of people from their homes and destroyed the livelihoods and food crops of communities. As national citizens, it is only right that we help to provide those people in temporary accommodation with the essentials that they need to remain healthy so that they can start to rebuild their lives.”

Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa districts were severely impacted by recent torrential rainfall. Ongoing relief efforts continue to reach over several thousands of people who have been affected so far.