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Bank
of Ceylon to expand in Jaffna The bank, which has ten branches in Jaffna and five in the Vanni, has maintained limited services in the region in recent years, mainly taking deposits and dispensing cash. But BoC general manager Sarath de Silva said the bank would increase small-scale lending and help build entrepreneurial skills in the community. "We want to create this [commercial] environment and create confidence," he said. "We have realised that we can be very effective in the development process." As a first step, the bank will shift its Northern Province head office from Colombo to Jaffna. De Silva acknowledged the risks of expanding in the north even before peace talks commence, but said the bank was merely responding to demand. "We are looking at this from a business angle," he said. We are not taking a political angle. We are really guided by the demand for services." Central
Bank guide to financial services Called "A
guide to financial services in Sri Lanka", the booklet is published
in all three languages and priced at Rs. 10 a copy, the bank said
in a statement. The publication, the booklet version of the two-page newspaper supplement published by the Central Bank on Sunday, January 20, presents information on deposit-taking institutions and types of deposits, interest rates, transactions in government securities and foreign exchange, and fees and commissions charged by commercial banks. The publication would be useful for students, teachers, researchers, policy makers and members of the general public who have an interest in banking and finance. Nihalsingha
gets Ph.D for project A statement by Nihalsingha's office said the thesis by the Kuala Lumpur-based former film maker had been examined by Professor Emeritus Rodger Wettenhall, a world authority on state enterprises while the other two examiners were Dr. Ian Thynne and Dr. Wilfrid Jayasooriya. Nihalsingha is currently General Manager of Film and Television Production with Astro. He has been with Astro since its inception six years ago and has the responsibility for all Astro feature film and television productions. Astro, which is predominantly owned by the Sri Lankan born Malaysian business tycoon Ananda Krishnan, along with shareholdings by Microsoft and Kazahna, broadcasts to Asia via two Malaysian- owned satellites. It operates out of the All Asia Broadcast Centre in Kuala Lumpur and is said to be the world's largest fully digital TV broadcast and production facility. London
cabbies carry SriLankan logo The company announced last week that 20 London cabbies would have their vehicles adorned with the majestic 'monara' (peacock) logo of SriLankan Airlines. The airline is using the famous London cab to promote the airline and its home base Sri Lanka in the UK. This promotion coincides with the Sri Lanka - England test series in England. London's cabbies have been used by many large international firms as a medium of advertising. "The taxis offer a great way to stimulate interest in the region and in SriLankan Airlines," said SriLankan's Manager in the UK, S.A. Ramachandran. HSBC's
newest branch opens in Male "The HSBC Group had been keen to open a branch in the Maldives, as we felt there would be many benefits arising from the presence of an international bank in the Maldives," Mark Humble, the new CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and the Maldives, was quoted as saying in a bank press release. The Maldives branch is the latest to join the more than 7,000 offices of the HSBC Group's world-wide branch network - a network that spans some 81 countries and territories. Gayoom noted that the opening of the new branch augurs well for the future of banking services in Maldives as well as the Maldivian economy. "The arrival of HSBC is definitely a vote of confidence in the prospects of our economy", he said, adding that he wished the operations of HSBC in the Maldives "every success". Bogawantalawa
promotes new HR initiatives The company said these two styles of management have shown tremendous results including a significant increase in productivity. BPL's high grown plantations average yields of approximately 1,854 kg per hectare, which is more than 400 kg prior to privatisation. "BPL considers their HR practices to be the main contributing factor for these achievements," the statement said. A company spokesman said BPL's vision is to become a world class plantation company. The management style of BPL conveys to the employees a clear cut shared understanding on the objectives, responsibilities and areas of accountability. The culture is to encourage creativity and innovation and a willingness to support genuine failures. High performance is recognised and rewarded on a team and individual basis. There is also a firm belief in continuous improvement in day-to-day operations to enhance productivity. In order to implement new management practices effectively BPL has started special training programmes for managers in conflict solving, worker relationship management and effective communication. Apart from this BPL is also involved in an International Labour Organisation (ILO) sponsored programme called "Work Place Co-oporation through Social Dialogue". Apart from these new management changes, BPL is also involved in numerous community activities, which enhance the living standards and well being of the workers, and thus help in increasing productivity. They develop and maintain Day Care Centres (Crèches), conduct Health Camps and special programmes in 'drugs demand reduction' with the participation of anti-drugs campaigners. |
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