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Softlogic Finance enters Jaffna

The best in modern day financial solutions were brought to investors in Jaffna, as Softlogic Finance PLC opened its first branch in the North of the country. As the financial arm of the highly-diversified conglomerate Softlogic Holdings, the company has been fast-emerging as a financial entity able to offer high returns backed by solid accountability.

"The city represents the potential for investment opportunities left untapped in Sri Lanka", said Softlogic Finance CEO and Director Mayura Fernando. The company offers a strategic portfolio of solutions to customers with leasing and hire purchase facilities for vehicles and equipment spearheading operations. Fixed deposits, business and personal loans, gold loans, Western Union Money Transfers and savings accounts are the other solutions available at the latest branch.

As in all Softlogic Finance branches around the country, the branch staff guarantee the convenience-oriented relations and warm service that has become an industry benchmark. "All solutions are customized to requirement. The improved access to tailor-made financial facilities is an imperative for investors if Jaffna is to make maximum use of its resources. We are confident that Softlogic Finance will be able to provide the region's development with the needed impetus" said Fernando.

Beginning the year following a highly successful first half of FY 2011/2012, Softlogic Finance PLC now makes its presence felt on Kannathiddy Road, Jaffna.

Hutch partners ComBank for SMS banking

Through the linking of their services, Hutch has now enabled their customers with Commercial Bank accounts access to a variety of services, 24 hours a day, via SMS.

An agreement between the two companies was signed at the Commercial Bank Head Office in Colombo recently. Commercial Bank was represented by Sanath Bandaranayake, Deputy General Manager - Operations, whilst the signatory for Hutch was Anand Prakash, Chief Operations Officer of the Company.

With the signing of this agreement, Hutch customers with Commercial Bank accounts can reload their prepaid connections and settle post-pay bills as well via an SMS to 8823.This convenient new service also allows Hutch customers to pay their electricity, water, and other utility bills through SMS banking. A great feature of this agreement is that any Hutch customer gets the opportunity to pay their post-pay bill over the counter at any Commercial Bank, irrespective of them being the Bank's customers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chief Operations Officer of Hutch, Anand Prakash said, "Our objective is to reach as many customers as possible by facilitating more touch points across the island.

"We will continue to enter into mutually advantageous partnerships to achieve that goal. I truly believe that Commercial Bank and Hutch customers will benefit from and enjoy the host of services offered.

"The country's positive economic conditions have also propelled further investments for network expansions and enabled us to offer a host of attractive VAS and IDD products for our valued customers," he said. Hutch users can now gain access to SMS Banking services by opening up a Commercial Bank account from any of their 213 outlets and start enjoying the convenience of SMS banking immediately.

m centre comes to Kandy, Negombo

m centre, the retail arm of Metropolitan Computers Pvt Ltd widened its reach recently by opening its two newest showrooms and service centres in Peradeniya Road, Kandy. and St. Joseph Street, Negombo to offer the best of choice and reliability for all ICT needs.

The new outlets carry the m centres' unique concept of choice of life style ICT gadgets from best brands in the industry and an in-house service centre to attend any service issues of its valued customers said Senior Marketing Manager, Uvindhu Gopallawa.

The m centres carry a portfolio of ICT products ranging from a desktop PC to notebooks, Netbooks, Tabs, single function and multifunction printers with numerous features and application that is required for a host of printing and imaging needs along with multimedia projectors and entertainment devices such as 3D and LED TVs, a range of high quality speakers and digital cameras for armatures and professionals

"We want to serve our customers in Kandy and Negombo faster and conveniently so we combined this new showrooms with an in-house workshop to avoid unnecessary delays and costs to our customers. At the same time m centres carry the most innovative and affordable devices to suite fast paced mobile life style with 3G built in Tabs, WiFi printers that enables users to directly assess the Canon cloud or Google Docs to smart phones." said Chaminda Rajapaksha, Senior Manager of the m centre store chain. m centre accommodate flagship brands in IT such as Acer, Canon, hp, Dell, Sonyericsson, Sonicgear, Transcend, Microsoft and Kaspersky offering wider choices and an attractive easy payment scheme up to 60 months on credit cards will create a center of attention for customers.

Trained service engineers and knowledgeable staff at the new m center store will not only help identify the best products for customers' needs but will also get their service requirements attended to at their earliest.

The location is easily accessible with ample parking .The products available at M Center stores offer a wide range of items including computers and laptops to fax machines, hardware and software, copiers, scanners, printers, professional cameras, among others. Further, m centres has its own brand of desktop PC - m power that is among the most reliable Sri Lankan desktops that comes with the reliable metropolitan guarantee.

Reckitt Benckiser launches Cherry Blossom

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

Reckitt Benckiser Lanka Limited launched improved Cherry Blossom in Sri Lanka, a brand which has a great heritage and was once endorsed by the legendary Charlie Chaplin.

The product has a special oil for leather in addition to a blend of the finest waxes from across the world. This will be available in Sri Lanka in both wax and liquid forms.

Cherry Blossom shoe polish gives a rich shine, nourishes the leather and protects the shoes from dirt and dust which is ideal for tropical conditions. The Sri Lankan consumers will benefit from this product as it will keep shoes looking new for longer adding colour to the dress sense, Reckitt Benckiser Lanka Limited Managing Director Rahul Murgai said.

The market for shoe polish has two dominant players and there is strong brand loyalty for Cherry Blossom. This has given the edge for the product to sustain the demand. The sales volumes are encouraging, he said.

"We are excited to bring Cherry Blossom to Sri Lanka and we are positive that a wide spectrum of customers including children and office goers will enjoy using the product everyday. The high quality of the product will attract customers as modern consumers are more conscious of the aspects of quality and price which are the co-values of the product in offering, Reckitt Benckiser Marketing Director Tanzim Rezwan said.

"We studied the consumer usage patterns and looked at their needs closely. We felt that there is a vacuum in the market and a product of the nature of Cherry Blossom will become a must stock item is most of the households. The product users will experience the difference, Reckitt Benckiser Surface Care category Senior Manager Shenali Wickramaaratchi said.

The product will target mainly at plantation sector, armed forces and mature audience. We intend receiving a good response from our clientele, she said.

Reckitt Benckiser is a multi national company and a leader in providing innovative customer solutions in the areas of health, hygiene and homecare. Among the range of brands in Sri Lanka are Harpic, Lysol, Dettol, Mortein, Airwick, Strepsils and Veet. The company continuously innovates and improve the products to capture wider market share.

Hameedia's staff in grand display of creative skills

The Nelum Flower (Nelumbian speciosium) was all pervasive in its captivating shades of blue, magenta and white, as members of Hameedia's staff together with its partners, all numbering well over 1200 converged on Colombo's newest landmark, the "Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapakse Theatre" for the Hameedia Talent Show 2012.

Chief guest at the occasion was Managing Director Fouzul Hameed. Guest of honuor was the Deputy Managing Director Hussain Sadique. Among the other distinguished invitees were SLIM President Thushara Perera, Prof. Rizvi Sheriff, Madu Ratnayake, Feroze Cader, Dhammika Kalapuge, Prof Sri Kandiah etc.

This year's Talent Show took on a grander dimension to celebrate the milestones achieved by the Company over the years. Added to this is the fact that Hameedia has grown to be a formidable part of the lives of Sri Lankan men for over 63 years Sporting their Nelum flower themed Tshirts, Hameedia's staff came from all parts of Sri Lanka and joined the Hameedia management, suppliers, business partners, customers and consultants for a six-hour extravaganza.

Opening the show was a graceful Nelum Dance performed by the girls employed at the factory who were professionally trained.

This set the stage for members of Hameedia staff who ventured under the spotlight in a display of their creative skills - drama, music, song and dance - to a widely appreciative audience. Celebrated director Feroze Kamardeen of Puswedilla -fame played a key role in training them in acting and stagecraft.

There was even a fashion show with Hameedia staff modeling the outfits they would usually sell to their customers. The eight models did the brand proud and strode the catwalk with confidence and ease.

A special feature at the Hameedia Talent Show 2012 was a group of differently-abled employees who also performed on stage and displayed their talents to great applause. In its endeavor to ensure equal opportunities to all employees, Hameedia has made it a policy to recruit and support different-abled persons from the community. "We value the contribution made by every single member of our staff since our inception 63 years ago. It is their sheer dedication and perseverance over the years that have transformed Hameedia into the household brand it is today. This event demonstrates our appreciation and the fact that we care" said Managing Director Fouzul Hameed.

The Overall Best Performers who demonstrated skills in drama, acting and singing received several gifts along with valuable cash prizes. There were also special appreciation awards to the top performers who contributed to the team and the company as a whole.

20 employees received an all expense paid vacation to overseas along with special accolades while M.T.M Faleel, Shafeek Naseer & Leroy J. Ebert jointly received the Hameedia CEO's Award of the Year. Hameedia also feted 211 long service employees with customised 22-carat gold pendants.

"This event was highly successful in bonding each and every one of us as members of one large family - the Hameedia family. Although we come from different ethnic, cultural and language backgrounds, we are bound together by the Hameedia brand. This is the underlying motif of our success, both in Sri Lanka and overseas", said Deputy Managing Director Hussain Sadique.

The Finance Company reopens in Jaffna

February 10 marked a significant milestone in the history of The Finance Company PLC with the continuous strengthening of their local branch network. As part of the Company's initiative of successfully operating a number of key branches from strategic locations, the pioneering financial organization will now serve their loyal and long-standing customers of the North from their premises situated on Powerhouse Road, Jaffna.

This moment in history is especially poignant and memorable for the Company since it was in Jaffna that the The Finance Company PLC opened its very first national branch on February 6, 1976, thus setting the archetypical framework for future operations undertaken by the 60 island-wide branches currently in the Company's portfolio. From 1995 onwards the Company had to re-locate to new, and at times make-shift premises, due to the escalation in war and threats to security.

However it is laudable that the Northern branch has now been re-located to the exact same premise from which it originally functioned, more than 35 years ago. The Jaffna branch maintained close ties with the local community for over three decades, surpassing the challenges imposed by civil war, while The Finance Company PLC remained the only financial institution which operated business during the the entire length of the war in the North. The Company, which is a household name, has over seven decades of unmatched experience in the non- banking finance sector, serving the Sri Lankan public with steadfast commitment.

Significant reconstruction efforts were undertaken to restore the building which houses the Jaffna branch to its original splendour, in order to provide an exemplary service to the the local people.

It is heartening to note that the Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who was present at the opening, appreciated the Company for having 'the best building by far compared to any finance institution in the Northern region'. The new branch is expected to capitalize on the fast growth taking place in the North, while providing strong support and impetus to the overall development occurring in the Northern economic landscape, thus positioning itself as a key stakeholder in the regional economy. The mobilization of large deposits and an increase in loyal clientele is expected in the coming years.

The new branch premise was declared opened by the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, amidst a distinguished gathering of senior Central Bank officials including the Deputy Governor, Ananda Silva, and the Additional Director Non-Bank Supervision, H. M Ekanayake. The Government Agent of Jaffna, Imelda Sugumar, The Chairman of the Finance Company PLC, Preethi Jayawardena, and several key Board Members of The Finance Company PLC also graced the occasion.