BUSINESS

•  Construction of real estate project to begin by mid next year

Rs. 14 bn investment in BoC-Shing venture

Construction of the proposed real estate project in Wellawatte (to be undertaken as a joint venture between Shing Kwan Investment of Singapore and Bank of Ceylon) is expected to begin by mid next year. This venture is estimated to totally cost around Rs.14 billion.

The first phase would be completed within a year after construction commences. At present, this project is in the conceptualisation stage and details are shortly to be finalised.

The project is the outcome of an agreement signed recently between Shing Kwan Investment (Singapore) Ltd., and Bank of Ceylon to develop the Wellawatta Mill site amounting to around 14 acres. For this purpose a joint venture company is in the process of being set up. Bank of Ceylon will hold a 51% stake in the company while the Singaporean firm will acquire 49%.

It is pertinent to mention that Shing Kwan Investment is the investment holding company of the Shing Kwan Group, the major shareholders of Overseas Realty (owner and developer of World Trade Centre, Colombo). The Bank of Ceylon would contribute the land which it acquired from the government as part settlement of a debt, while Shing Kwan will be responsible for infusing funds, conceptualising and managing the entire project using their expertise and experience in handling similar projects internationally.

Senior Deputy General Manager, Overseas Realty, Remaz Ghouse said they will shortly appoint consultants to advise on various aspects of the proposed project. According to him, preliminary plans envisage a property development amounting to two million square feet.

The major portion of the development will involve middle and high income housing . Space will also be allocated for retail, commercial and entertainment facilities.

Ghouse said the project will be on a phased basis, depending on market demand and the general economic state of the country.

He stated that they have faith this project will be successful, citing the peace process and investor confidence as the reasons for his optimism.

During the first phase of construction, it is intended to build 'show flats' which would be similar to the end product, so that potential buyers and investors can see for themselves and even place orders. Their target clientele includes Sri Lankan expatriates perhaps looking out for a second home, wealthy locals, and foreigners (particularly from the Middle East and Europe) who may consider Sri Lanka as an attractive investment option for housing. All apartments will have similar features, but would differ in size.

Ghouse expects a good response during their pre-selling campaign which will be undertaken before the first phase is completed. He said they will be working with banks to provide end-user finance.

 He also stated they will select design companies from Europe, America and Asia to come up with their  own concepts based on a brief. They will then consider the presentations by these companies before selecting what is deemed to be the most appropriate design. Thereafter they will most likely chose an internationally reputed contractor to undertake the construction work.

Ghouse said the new venture reinforces the Shing Kwan Group's belief at the inception of the World Trade Centre project in 1991 that "in time Sri Lanka could become the regional headquarters serving as a gateway to the South Asia subcontinent."

He said that one of the group's aims is to be a premier developer of real estate in Sri Lanka, and undertake other large projects in accordance with this objective.

The investments held and managed by Shing Kwan Group are mainly in property and finance. Projects undertaken by their companies include Wisma Metropolitan 1 & 11 and World Trade Centre 1 (Indonesia),  a massive hotel, apartment, office and shopping mall project, a 500-room luxury 5-star hotel, a multi-functional complex called ShaghaiMart (China), a modern office building and an apartment complex and retail arcade (Singapore).

Union Bank acquires local operations of Mashreq Bank

Union Bank Limited (incorporated in Pakistan) has acquired the local operations of Mashreq Bank in Sri Lanka. At a press conference held on August 22, President and Group CEO, Union Bank Pakistan, Shaukat Tarin said, "Union Bank has selected Sri Lanka as the first venue for commencing its international business. We believe that the historically warm relationship between both the two countries provide Union Bank a congenial platform to start its offshore operations. In addition to this, the bilateral trade agreement between Pakistan and Sri Lanka has helped to boost trade and open up business and finance opportunities on both ends."

Country Manager, Union Bank's Sri Lanka Operations, Goharulayn Afzal stated that Sri Lanka since the advent of the peace process has reflected a significant GDP growth. "The year 2003 has seen even more impressive results with remarkable improvement in most sectors of the economy. This affords an excellent opportunity to be part of this growing economy and contribute positively to the development of Sri Lanka. It will be our foremost endeavour to provide a very high level of service to our customers together with providing innovative financial solutions."

Union Bank has established itself as one of the leading private sector banks in Pakistan. Apart from local expansion, the management at Union bank has followed a focused strategy of strategic alliances with various business partners, both locally and globally.

Union Bank was established in 1991 and for nearly a decade concentrated on corporate and small and medium enterprises. In late 1999, a major Middle Eastern group acquired the majority shares of Union Bank, transforming its status into a foreign bank. The new sponsors have significant experience in international financial services business and energy sector.

Keeping on the same strategic run, in the year 2000, Union Bank acquired Bank of America's local operations in Pakistan. The merger of the two organisations had synergistic effect. Union Bank's distribution strength combined with Bank of America's strengths in systems, procedures and technological resources created a much stronger entity.

In mid 2001, Union Bank signed an independent operator agreement with American Express for the cards business. As a result of this agreement, Union Bank enjoys the rights to issue, operate and market American Express Cards in Pakistan. The bank has a distinct advantage of having issuance licenses for all three major card networks i.e. VISA, MasterCard and American Express, and acquiring licenses for VISA/MasterCard, American Express as well as JCB cards.

In the year 2002, Union Bank acquired the local operations of Emirates Bank International. This development led to the formation of one of the largest private sector banks in Pakistan with a branch network of 42 branches spanning 19 cities.

Union Bank today operates in 19 major cities of Pakistan with a network of 42 branches where it extends its services to a large and diversified customer base. The bank is managed by a select group of highly accomplished professionals in the field of banking and finance. They bring with them enormous managerial experience in corporate and consumer banking, operations, treasury, risk management, credit and marketing from leading local and foreign banks. At present Union Bank has a balance sheet size of US$ 1.2 billion. Union Bank currently employs 2400 employees.

Within a short span of three years, Union Bank has gone through a complete transformation by re-organising its business functions, joining hands with major international brands, setting up a state of the art technology platform and launching new products and services. The management feels that the time is ripe to enter the international market. With great depth in management skills, and a vision that goes beyond Pakistan, Union bank wants to make an indelible impact on the international banking arena.

Photo Technica goes digital

By Ranee Mohamed

When Fred Malwenna began Photo Technica with his wife on independence day of February 4, 1958, he didn't expect that in approximately five decades Photo Technica will be a household name in Sri Lanka's world of photography.

Fred Malwenna's Photo Technica in the late 50s and early 60s was patronized by the country's elite. Prime ministers and ministers bought and serviced their cameras here at this original photo technical. It was a photoshop of the cream of  society at that time.

Pioneer Fred Malwenna, a professional photographer obtained a professional knowledge of cameras and photography internationally. Having observed cameras of all sorts and those in the making in Germany, Fred remained the veteran photographer in the spotlight in Sri Lanka for decades.

Then in 1994, with the demise of this great man in photography, generations of clients of Photo Technica were concerned about the future of the business. But unknown to them Fred Malwenna's dynamic young  son Harsha Malwenna sprang into the focus. Educated at St. Thomas' College and having trained in Japan and Germany in technology and electronics and with professional qualifications in photography from Switzerland Harsha Malwenna, himself a professional photographer took the reins  of Photo Technica.

"It is important that a person obtains a basic training in photography and then capture the moment and let himself go," says Malwenna to would-be photographers. Photo Technica also conducts basic courses in photography.  With a library of over 5000 slides, Harsha Malwenna is a photographer of  culture, wild life and ruins of Sri Lanka. His photography has been featured in publications by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

And it is this young Harsha Malwenna who steered his father's Photo Technica to the future. Photo Technica which started as a photo shop selling basic cameras and attending to sales and service, today has gone digital.

It is the reputed importer of world class cameras as Nikon, Yashica, Pentax and Leica, the Rolls Royce in cameras. With eight branches including one at the Duty Free, Photo Technica today not only services cameras, but sells top quality cameras marked with credibility. Its recently acquired digital machine enables one to restore and print even the oldest photographs. Photo Technica also has an up to date comprehensive stock of spare parts and modern workshop facilities.

Photo enthusiasts,  professionals and even amateur customers who have been looked after in the last decade by Photo Technica have been amazed at the recent acquisition of the modern digital mini lab at Photo Technica. Only three such machines are available in Sri Lanka and Photo Technica's head office at 288 Galle Road, Colombo 3 boasts of such modern technology. "It will cater to the increasing demands in photography in the modern world.. We do prints from any type of digital cameras. We transfer digital data to compact and floppy discs. We do photo editing and photo restoration and  all types of photo preservation," pointed out Malwenna.

The business climate: a surge of confidence

"The pendulum that has mirrored the LMD-ACNielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) in recent times continues to swing," says LMD, in its September edition, out tomorrow.

"It did so somewhat dramatically (and in the right direction) in August. After edging down from 162 in June to an 11-month low of 152 in July, the BCI surged by a healthy 21 basis points (to 173) last month - a mere five points below the five-year high of 178 registered in December last year," the business magazine elaborates.

The medium-term outlook, it seems, is now being viewed with some degree of optimism, with 61 of those surveyed in the unique poll expecting "the economy, in general, to improve in the coming 12 months" - up from 53% a month ago. 

The BCI is based on a survey of 100 senior executives in the city of Colombo, and is compiled from answers to a series of questions on business conditions and expectations. The survey is conducted monthly for LMD by ACNielsen Lanka.

The fact that Nielsen Lanka's monthly survey of businesspeople coincided with the euphoria surrounding the Prime Minister's visit to China could well have instilled confidence in the hearts and minds of businesspeople - as, perhaps, did the fact that the premier was accompanied by a high-powered business delegation seeking to foster enhanced trading links with their Chinese counterparts. The release of more encouraging corporate results may also have played a part in buoying business sentiment, LMD surmises.

The "investment climate in the country," however, continues to be viewed with scepticism, according to the poll. Only 64% of respondents said that prospects are either "good" or "fair" in August, whilst almost 70% said so in the preceding month. Those who said the climate is "good" dropped from in excess of a third to only a quarter in August, while only a meagre 5% opined that the climate is "very good".

Political instability, however - and now a spate of violent shootings (indicating a low ebb in law and order) - continues to be an overarching negative issue.

But the peace process appears to be back on track, following the resumed talks in the French capital. This, coupled with encouraging performances by the corporate sector and the stock market, may prop business confidence in the short term.

Commercial Bank maintains healthy growth

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd., its subsidiaries and associate companies have reported a pre-tax profit of Rs. 936.9 million for the first half of 2003, an increase of Rs. 101.6 million or 12.15% over the corresponding period last year.

The bank said this pre-tax profit was arrived at after making a loan loss provision of Rs. 302.2 million, which included a provision of Rs. 155.0 million made as a prudential measure, covering 20% of facilities granted to a state-owned enterprise, whose facilities have been classified under non performing advances.

"However, the bank is in the process of taking legal action against the borrower with the view to recovering the dues," Commercial Bank's Deputy General Manager (Finance & Planning), Ranjith Samaranayake said.

Despite this provision, the group's post-tax profit before value added tax on profit for the period under review was Rs. 811.457 million, an increase of Rs. 159.670 million or 24.50%.

The provision compelling banks to provide for special value added tax (VAT) on the basis of 10% of the net profit before tax and staff emoluments cost the bank nearly Rs. 113 million for the first half of 2003. The profit for the six months after providing for the corporate tax and VAT amounted to Rs. 698.5 million, recording a growth of Rs. 46.703 million or a percentage growth of 7.17.

Pre-tax profit as well as post-tax profit before VAT were well above the prevailing rate of inflation estimated to be 8%, thereby indicating healthy growth in real terms.

Samaranayake said the growth in profits was attributed to the healthy growth in deposits, which amounted to Rs. 7.9 billion, a percentage growth of 14.56.

In addition, the fund base of the bank was further boosted by the infusion of medium term funds through a debenture and the preference share issue, which raised Rs. 3.2 billion, improving the bank's funding mix, he explained.

The excess liquidity from higher growth in deposits than that in advances was gainfully utilised by the bank's treasury by investing in treasury bills and bounds at very fine margins, Samaranayake said.

The Commercial Bank Group was able to maintain a healthy growth in the group's principal source of income, which is net interest income. The group recorded a growth of Rs. 397.2 million in net interest income, which was a 29% growth over the corresponding period last year. Despite the falling interest rate scenario, the growth in net interest income was facilitated by growth in business volumes, Samaranayake said.

The group also continued to maintain a healthy growth in commission and other income, which enabled the bank to record a growth of 25% in net total income in comparison to the previous year.

This was further facilitated by operating expenses increasing only by 19.47%, as against the growth of 25% in net total income, demonstrating the cost efficiency of the bank. The cost income ratio of the group amounted to 50.45%, which was a drop from 52.71% over the corresponding period last year.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd., recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Credit Agricole Indosuez (CAI) to acquire CAI's banking operations in Bangladesh, subject to the approvals of the respective regulatory authorities.

The performance for the first half of 2003 of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd., has been reported in accordance with the recent changes to the format of accounts recommended by the Colombo Stock Exchange in line with the Sri Lanka Accounting Standard No. 35. Accordingly, the performance of the second quarter of 2003 has been given in addition to the half-year period under consideration in the income statement. The bank's balance sheet provides the comparative figures as of December 31, 2002, instead of the figures as of June 30, 2002.

Direct Solutions launched

PBN Direct, the 11-year old database marketing company founded and managed by Priyanga Hapagalle and The HotHouse, a 10-year old UK-based direct marketing agency have joined forces to create the first truly integrated direct marketing agency in the country.

Speaking at the launch held at the Trans-Asia Hotel, Chief Executive Officer of the new agency, Direct Solutions, Priyanga Hapagalle said, "This is a very proud moment for me as it is the next logical stage to move to."

"Having worked with nearly 400 of the top companies supplying principally direct mail solutions, we now have the total ability to service clients from strategy to analysis and to move them also into true international marketing."

Direct Solutions offers the complete range of services required to initiate and maintain a one-to-one relationship between a company and its customers whether they be consumers or other businesses. These include data sourcing, capturing, cleansing, manipulation and maintenance via the creation and development of customer acquisition and development programmes to creative approaches across all media including press, radio, direct mail, telemarketing and TV to the end product of response analysis and customer knowledge building.

A safer society for business

The second Key Persons Forum discussion was held last week with the topic for discussion being 'Maintaining Law and Order for a Conducive Business Environment.'

Interior and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga and Moderator Ranil Wijesinghe were at the head table. Several senior members of the police force and members of the business community were present at the discussion.

Minister Amaratunga in his opening speech said that a new chapter in the history of the police service has begun and the police force is now on the right course to serve the public with respect and dignity in an atmosphere of impartiality.

The maintaining of law and order is essentially a commitment of the state police, he said, adding that the present government was of the view the Police Department should detach itself from the Defence Ministry.

"Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe created the Interior Ministry to ensure that the general public could turn to the civil police as their guardians to resolve their problems," he said.

Minister Amaratunga explained that the government went a step further and created the National Police Commission as "honest, hardworking and efficient police officers" were subject to unnecessary transfers due to political interference. However, police officers are now completely independent to carry out their tasks and serve the public, he said.

The police force members also said that with the forming of the National Police Commission, they are safeguarded and able to carry out their duties without interference.

Training programmes are being carried out to make the members of the police force more worthy to society, said minister Amaratunga. However, the police officers are very poorly paid and are "finding it extremely difficult to survive," he said.

With confidence in Sri Lanka increasing due to the ongoing peace process, foreign investment has also increased and the country has just emerged from an economic disaster of a minus growth, said the minister.

He also said the crime rate has not increased, adding, "There is a fluctuation in the crime rate" and emphasised that the death penalty should be introduced to curb crime.

Minister Amaratunga said that a large number of police officers are deployed in the north east resulting in a shortage of numbers in Colombo, where he said the main problems arise while fewer problems occur in the outstations.

The moderator Ranil Wijesinghe, while congratulating the police force on what they do to prevent crime, raised questions about incidents of robbery, rape and violence saying that "one person who was abducted, killed or raped is extremely important."

He also raised questions as to what the value addition of the National Police Commission is, if it is as effective as it was intended to be, if the police force is really independent and if the police force "could bring about a negative crime rate as much as we have a positive economic growth."

"One of the pillars of the UNF government is that you wanted to reduce the rate of crime but there is a perception that crime has increased. The perception is far more important in reality whether its business or politics," he said to minister Amaratunga.

The businessmen raised several questions regarding the efficiency and impartiality of the police force, emphasising on recent brutal murders, rapes, actions of ministers and their offspring, the possession of unlicensed firearms by the public and the traffic problem.

The minister attributed the possession of unlicensed firearms due to the large number of deserters from the armed forces and said that the lack of information coming forward prevented the police force from apprehending those who are in possession of these firearms.

The government even declared an amnesty to give up firearms with no questions asked but not even a fraction of the people who are in possession of firearms came forward during this amnesty, said the minister.

"Today, two hand grenades were recovered from the drawer of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Chairman. The fact is that even people of such standing are holding on to arms and explosives," he added.

The violent incidents at some major hotels in Colombo and the assaulting of a police officer by minister Jayalath Jayawardene's son were two issues that were also discussed at length, with emphasis on the action taken by the police in these instances.

Regarding the underworld gangs that operate in the country, members of the police force stated that most of the underworld gangsters have been identified and 75% of the leaders of both gangs have been arrested. A large number of crimes have been solved as well, they said.

Police stations not being properly managed, the lack of facilities such as vehicles for patrolling at night, emergency numbers and the possibility of introducing a short emergency number to get through to the police were amongst issues that were discussed. Methods in which the business community could help the police force financially were also discussed.

Organised by the Policy Support Unit (PSU) of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) with support from the Sri Lankan-German private sector promotion project, the objective of the Key Persons Forum is to organise a series of public lectures, seminars and discussions conducted by local and foreign individuals on matters of relevance and interest, especially to the private sector.

SriLankan launches Pathum Piyapath

It is 100 years since the wonders of aviation were introduced to the world. While the first aircraft was introduced by the Wright Brothers, today thousands of people have benefited from their experiment.

In celebration of this great achievement in aviation, the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines has introduced the Pathum Piyapath programme. According to Head, Corporate Communications, Chandana De Silva, the main idea behind this programme is to give 54 children from rural areas in the country the opportunity of travelling in an aircraft abroad. According to De Silva, at a village level, these children don't have an idea of what an aircraft or flying is all about. "This is one step taken by the national carrier to introduce and educate the children on what goes on in the world," De Silva said.

"As children many of us have dreamt of been in an aircraft and flying around the world. These children are no different, except that they will probably never be in an aircraft since they cannot afford the airfare," says De Silva.

With the introduction of Pathum Piyapath, these children will not only have the opportunity of flying to Male but also get an idea of what really goes on inside an airport before they actually board the plane.

Manager, Public Relations, Deshini Abeyewardena said one of the ideas of this programme is for the children to understand the meaning of a passport, the rules and regulations of the Immigration and Emigration Department, the Customs procedure, what is served aboard the plane and safety measures one should follow, among other things.

The 54 children will be chosen from all provinces in the country.

All students who give the correct answers to the five questions given by SriLankan Airlines officials will qualify for the draw. Out of the correct answers six children from each province will be chosen to go on a one day trip to Male.

"For all those who answer the questions correctly we will be giving them a certificate," says Abeyewardene.

Abeyewardene said this opportunity was introduced to children (boys and girls) between the ages of 16 and 18 as they possess a valid identity card.

When the children reach Male, the SriLankan Airlines pilots will conduct a presentation on aviation and its importance. The children will also be taken to a Male school and other places of interest depending on what the SriLankan officials can organise.

"We are hoping to have a renowned personality like a cricketer, film star or athlete on board," said Abeyewardene.

At present SriLankan officials are in the process of sending letters to school principals in the island. "Discussions and plans are still under way to make this event a great success," she said.

The children are expected to leave on October 11 to Male. On their return they will be given a group photograph together with a SriLankan pilot and a steward to take them back home. One SriLankan Airlines official will accompany six to seven children in the group. This programme is expected to be the start of a successful promotional avaiation programme.

Apart from the Pathum Piyapath programme, SriLankan Airlines is involved in the Hope Cancer Project and the CMC project among others.

The national carrier has also offered tickets on a discounted rate to patients requiring surgery abroad and in some cases even free tickets.

The Jetwing Hotel will provide free accommodation for the students and their parents for the day. The parents will remain at the hotel till the children return in the evening. "We have also organised a special programme for the parents during the day," Abeyewardene said.

She wished to thank the media, the Immigration and Emigration Department and ANCL, MTV and Rupavahini for their sponsorship of this event.

Millennium City now in Kurunegala

Ceylinco Real Estate Developers Ltd. (CRDL), a member of Ceylinco Consolidated, commenced work on the Millennium City Wayamba District project with a ground-breaking ceremony at which Chairman, Wayamba Economic Development Commission, Deshmanya Dr. Lalith Kotelawela was the chief guest. Also present were Constitutional Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris, Kurunegala Mayor, Chandrasiri De Silva and other members of parliament as well as local government officials.

With a Rs. 700 million investment and located on 50 acres of prime real estate, the Wayamba District can be assured of a quality housing township. 300 houses are scheduled to be built on the selfsame lines as those of the Athurugiriya Millennium City. Scheduled to be completed in three years, construction is due to commence in three months. The houses will range from standard two bedroom to luxury four bedroom houses.

The Paradis houses which constitute the luxury category and have both upstair as well as downstair units and consist of four bedrooms and three bathrooms with all the facilities of modern luxury living such as 24 hour security, swimming pool, club house, gymnasium, basketball and tennis courts, etc. The Olympus category of houses comprise three bedrooms with most of the facilities available to the Paradis category being common to the Olympus residents as well. The Tulip category of houses are single storeyed, three bedroomed and have 24 hour security with telephone facilities. The Heartland range of houses are economy class, with two to three bedrooms with optional facilities.

Speaking at the ceremony Deshmanya Dr. Kotelawela said that as this was a Wayamba EDC approved and sponsored project, all benefits such as duty free concessions, discounts on building, etc., were being passed on to the customer.

Minister G.L. Peiris said that a project of this nature commencing in the Wayamba District would greatly benefit the rural populace as they could now avail themselves of quality, low cost housing, which has been professionally built and supervised.

The Kurunegala Mayor speaking on the occasion said that to date there had been no planned real estate development in the region. "This is a morale booster for the people of Wayamba with far reaching effects which will help the Kurunegala District to further develop their infrastructure."

Deputy Chairman, CDL, Bandula Ranaweera said that they used only ICTAD registered contractors, while a team of experienced local and foreign professionals would be monitoring the progress of the project. He also said that all Millennium City townships ensured that the highest environmental standards were maintained.

All Millennium City customers are given a comprehensive guarantee for their houses, while easy payment facilities could also be arranged.

Custodial services by Seylan Bank

Seylan Bank recorded its best half year performance in the first of 2003 with a group profit amounting to Rs. 772 million. The bank is moving ahead with new initiatives in order to maintain its momentum.

The most prominent among them for the second half of the year is the establishment of custodial services as against its traditional banking services. Initially, the expertise of Nythya Partners helped the bank to establish a fully geared custodial services unit in order to provide the market with a competitive and cost effective service.

As a result of the rebound in the capital market, Seylan Bank expects more vibrancy in the economy, in the form of debenture issues, securitisation and even the setting up of new unit trusts. Seylan Bank is the only Sri Lankan private bank to offer such custodial services which include Escrow agency for computer source codes.

The range of services include trustees and custodians for securitisation/collateralisation issues, trustees for debenture issues, custodians of the purchase consideration where seller requires regulatory approval for remittances and custodians of the purchase consideration where the consideration is to be satisfied on a deferred basis subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions.

Ceylinco Freight International wins bronze award

Ceylinco Freight International was the proud winner of the NCE medium category bronze award in the service-providing sector for 2002.

The company has been the franchise partner of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics in Sri Lanka since 1992.

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics was founded in 1871 by Carl Heinrich Hellmann in Osnabruek, northern Germany. It began as a one-man business delivering parcels with a horse-drawn cart.

Today Ceylinco functions as Hellmann's franchise agent in Sri Lanka under the trade name Ceylinco Hellmann Worldwide Logistics handling many major International accounts.

As international boundaries shift and global transportation becomes even more sophisticated, anticipating the future needs of the market is what characterises Hellmann as a true leader. The ability to quickly and efficiently transport goods between regions is one of the few remaining competitive advantages.

Having 341 offices in 134 countries, Hellmann offers global solutions to global challenges.  As a leading international provider of integrated logistics and forwarding services, Hellmann is a vital link between industries and trades throughout the world. With systematic organisation and innovative solutions Hellmann offers optimum delivery times for shipments of all sizes, from a courier envelope to a full load of air or ocean cargo. 

Ceylinco to diversify into power sector

Ceylinco Consolidated held discussions on a number of subjects with potential Chinese partners in Beijing earlier this month, being part of the delegation led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

One of the main topics was Ceylinco's interest in establishing an alternate power source in the country.

At a press conference last week, Director Sicille Kotelawela said that Ceylinco is having discussions with Sinopec,  No.68 in the world Top 500 companies according to its sales revenue, to enter the petroleum sector in Sri Lanka.  Here the company will then be the third player in the retail petroleum sector.

Ceylinco is also having discussions with a highly specialised company in China dealing with offshore oil exploration.  The Chinese company is said to be showing keen interest in offshore oil exploration in Sri Lanka and Ceylinco hopes to start this project shortly.

The Ceylinco Group is also focusing on renewable energy.  Ceylinco officials stated that given the existing hydro capacity and past experience in Sri Lanka, it will make good sense to build more hydro plants on a mini as well as micro scale.  A British expert, David Friztherbert is currently working with Ceylinco to make this a reality.  Other plans of Ceylinco are in regard to alternative energy such as using biomass.  This sector has great potential based upon waste products from agriculture, the forestry sector, and energy crops.

Given that Sri Lanka needs to double its power generation capacity over the coming decade, Ceylinco is also pushing for more use of wind power.  The wind energy sector is at an early stage in Sri Lanka with the Hambantota 3MW wind farm as the first demonstration project.  There are more potential sites identified for wind power projects.

Ceylinco Consolidated along with their Chinese partners China National Machinery & Equipment Import  & Export Corporation (CMEC), a leading state owned group handling international projects, held discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on several projects they hope to start in Sri Lanka.

During the discussions CMEC suggested that the government of Sri Lanka look into the possibility of setting up 50 MW coal power plants which could be expanded in stages.  CMEC has much experience in this regard in Malaysia and is currently installing up to 200MW in stages.

Ceylinco sources also stated that a team of CMEC officials visited Sri Lanka last year and carried out a survey of power plant sub stations, transmission lines and other related facilities.  With a requirement of approximately 1000 MW of power being generated within the next decade, installation of new and upgrading of present transmission line systems and sub stations will have to be carried out urgently.

Director Sicille Kotelawela also announced that Ceylinco is hoping to take their restaurant, Raga Bojun to several other countries such as China, Dubai and even the West.  She added that at their Akase Kade at Ceylinco House, she hopes to open a South Indian restaurant by next month.

Meanwhile Ceylinco Chairman, Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala, Director, Sicille Kotelawala and  Chairman, Nawaloka Group, Deshmanya H.K Dharmadasa have embarked on a project to reconstruct and rehabilitate tanks in the Wayamba and Central regions.  Ceylinco is hoping that the public and organisations will come forward and offer assistance in rehabilitating these tanks for the benefit of the people in these areas.

Already four tanks have been completed and work is underway in the fifth.  According to Sicille Kotelawala the people in these areas are so grateful when they get water "they truly bless us." She said they welcome any assistance in rehabilitating more tanks in the Wayamba region where there are over 600 tanks that are unusable.

"Giving water is the greatest blessing and the people here are in such dire circumstances it is a blessing to help them.  This project was started in March this year and the tanks that have been rehabilitated so far are Aluthwewa in Anuradhapura, Mahawewa in Galgamuwa, the bund Periakaduwa Wewa in Hiriyala and Paradel Horowwa Wewa in Narammala.

Three significant events at Four A's AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Accredited Advertising Agencies Association, the ad industry body better known as the Four A's, held at the Galle Face Hotel recently, was an eventful one. In addition to electing a new board of directors for the coming year, the meeting saw three other significant steps being taken.

At the meeting, chief guest, former ad-man and Governor, Southern Province, Kingsley Wickremaratne presided over the honouring of three of Sri Lanka's 'advertising giants of the past' - Anandatissa de Alwis, Cyril Masilamani and Ranjit Jayasuriya. Family members were there to collect the posthumous awards presented, following some touching eulogies read by Roshni de Saram. Governor Wickremaratne reminisced about the early days and remembered his erstwhile colleagues from the ad industry. The Four A's have proposed to further this initiative by launching an Advertising Hall of Fame this year to honour other seniors of the industry.

The other significant step was the signing of a Code of Ethics by heads of agencies present at the meeting. The Four A's noted that advertising with its high profile and influential impact on society, needed to be practiced with sensitivity and restraint, as there was an increasing number of complaints about insensitive, distasteful and misleading advertising.

While setting the lead for exemplary practice through the adoption of this creative code, the Four A's noted that the existence of the uncontrolled sector of many small-time ad agencies and others who were not a part of the Four A's meant that not all advertising appearing in the mass media could be controlled through the association's self-regulation initiative. However, it was felt that the association's plans for public forums and the setting up of a website to field public criticism and promote wider discussion in this area, would in time lead to better practice across the industry.

The new board elected at the AGM are: Kenneth Honter, re-elected as president, Rohan Rajaratnam and Keith Martenstyn - vice presidents, Chrishantha Jayasinghe - secretary, Keith Wijesuriya - treasurer, and  Rezani Aziz, Laila Gunasekera, Pradeep Amirthanayagam, Roshini de Saram and Kumar Rajendra - directors.

The association also invited several seniors from the industry to form an advisory council to secure support and advice of this important group for the activities of the Four A's. Those appointed to the council are Kingsley Wickremaratne, Deshabandu Reggie Candappa, Shiranee Rubera, Lilamani Dias Benson, Felicia Dean, Melville Assauw, Soma Ahangama, Ryan Jayatunga and Nimal Gunewardena.

Shermans focusing on building products

Sherman Sons Limited with their longstanding reputation is aggressively marketing their exclusive building products range, which are known as the best in the market.

Some of the products include the Franke range, which consists of kitchen sinks and taps from Switzerland, Harvi Foil from New Zealand, and Viero decorative wall coatings from Italy.

Shermans hopes to be the leading building products distributor in the country with their unique and exclusive product range. Marketing and Product Executive - Imports Division, Sujith Gunerathne said Franke's know-how in the development and manufacturing of products in stainless steel remains unequalled: e.g. "high-end range with a double edge sink profile, polyurethane water proof sealant for life, perfect integration in the kitchen worktop being key features."

Over 50 million customers throughout the world are the result and also the reflection of Franke's reputation for quality. Franke's branded products combine design and functionality like the unique Franke Papillon sink range.

Franke offers a very wide range of products such as kitchen sinks and taps, water purification and eco-systems, all matching by design.

Franke upgraded the sink to a food preparation centre, with many innovative and functional accessories for easier and better cooking.

It is a proven fact that all pantry cupboard manufacturers prefer to use Franke kitchen sinks and taps, and it is recommended by architects worldwide.

Gunerathne said that Viero decorative wall coatings are based on natural Italian marble chips for all types of interior and exterior surfaces. He said that they cater to the customer's requirements and match the colour required.

Referring to Harvi Foil, he stressed that its heat reflectivity is more than 95% and is the market leader in this sector. Harvi Foil is a well-known name in the local market as well as globally.

He went on to say that Shermans new Showroom at Sri Sangharaja Mawatha, Colombo 10, which would be opened soon, will supply the needs and wants of home builders and potential home builders, and will focus mainly on its building products range as well as its reputed electrical home appliances range.

Gunerathne emphasised that Shermans undertakes the insulation of Harvi Foil and application of Viero wall coatings if the client requests, further enabling the customer to take advantage of a better and professional service.

Other than the products mentioned, Shermans are also the agents for Thai gypsum board, Lockwood door locks and security products, NSF Diazo plan printing papers, Dorma door locks and are the agents for the reputed Candy brand.