APEA awards next February

The inaugural Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) conducted by Enterprise Asia, a non governmental organization based in Malaysia since 1997 in association with Malaysian Business Council and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will be held next February at the host hotel Colombo Hilton.

There are 14 ASEAN nations in this programme, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Macau, Cambodia and from South Asia, India.

Lanka was invited to join this elite group from 2012.

Principal sponsor of the event NDB Bank CEO Russell de Mel handing over the sponsorship award to Malaysian Business Council President Dushy Jayaweera. Country Director Ananda Rajapaksa, APEA organizing committeeCo-Chairmen Tilak Gunawardene and Shane Ingram from Colombo Hilton looks on. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

“Sri Lanka’s event is open only to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs, Sri Lankan public companies; Sri Lanka based Foreign Direct Investment companies, Government Corporations, and Private Enterprises. The Awards on offer are; Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award, Most Promising Entrepreneurship Award and Life Time Achievement Award,” said Country Director for Enterprise Asia Ananda Rajapaksa, who introduced this event to Sri Lanka. He said they will also look at the possibility of hosting this event in 2016.

“This Awards Program is unique. As, Asia Pacific’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs, it is a regional benchmark. It honours enterprising men and women from each country who have proven their enterprising spirit, whilst not neglecting the social responsibilities that are associated with business leadership. An International Panel of Judges will select the winners based on a regional company evaluation benchmark and short list on a computer generated marking scheme and company visits by a Technical Team from Enterprise Asia in Malaysia,” he said.

“As a pioneer in project lending and promoting SME financing in Sri Lanka, the National Development Bank (NDB Bank) has contributed immensely to stimulate the growth of these sectors.

Over the past three decades the Bank has not only financially supported such ventures islandwide, but also provided advisory services both to entrepreneurs as well as lending institutions.

Entry Coupons will be carried in The Daily News, Sunday Observer, Dinamina and Thinakaran newspapers from September 29 and will close on November 1, 2011.

Completed entry coupons are to be sent to Sri Lanka-Malaysia Business Council, C/o Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, No 50, Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 2. Shortlisted companies will be sent the nomination kit. For more details email [email protected]

 (SS)