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News
Fresh tenders for Colombo Art Centre By Naomi Gunasekara The Ministry of Tourism has called for fresh tenders from creative entrepreneurs with management capabilities to manage the proposed Colombo Art and Cultural Centre following its failure to award the tender last year. The Colombo
Art and Cultural Centre is to be the centrepiece of visitor attractions
within the city of Colombo presenting various aspects of Sri Lanka
art and culture including a section on Dutch heritage in Sri Lanka.
Tenders for
the project were called last October and Paradise Road, an upmarket
crafts store, chosen from among five applicants. But the tender
was not awarded and the Ministry of Tourism called for fresh applications
last week. "At that
time the property was not vested with us. So we did not award the
tender," said S. Kalaiselvam, Director Planning and Development,
Sri Lanka Tourist Board. The property,
consisting half a hectare and situated at Echelon Square, had been
vested with the Urban Development Authority at the time the tenders
were called last year and the tender had not been awarded thus.
According to
Kalaiselvam steps have been taken to bring the property within the
purview of the Ministry of Tourism. "It will be gazetted soon
and we will be able to award it," he said. Paradise Road,
though initially chosen, has not pursued the matter following the
attack on the Katunayake airport. "They themselves were not
keen and we decided to call for fresh applications." The Art and
Cultural Centre at the Dutch Heritage Building is owned by the Archaeological
Department of Sri Lanka and a company consisting Chairman, Ceylon
Tourist Board, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Director
General of Archaeology, Director of Cultural Affairs, Chairman,
George Keyt Foundation, President of the Tourist Hotels Association
of Sri Lanka, President of the Travel Agents Association of Sri
Lanka and representatives of the General Treasury was established
to manage the centre. Conservation
and restoration work at the site was carried out under the supervision
of M/S Design Consortium Ltd based on a feasibility study conducted
with the assistance of the Dutch government in 1997 and the total
expenditure on restoration was Rs.100 million. The centre is expected to foster traditional Sri Lankan art and culture and provide opportunities to young and upcoming artists and craftsmen of Sri Lanka. It consists seven blocks including a restaurant, shopping complex, auditorium, costume gallery, art gallery and library. Awards
for foreign job agencies The objectives
of the National Awards Scheme is to honour the agencies that have
made a substantial contribution towards generating employment and
foreign exchange earnings for the country, the bureau said in a
statement. "It is
also to motivate the foreign employment agencies to reach excellence
in the recruitment of personnel, and in training and discipline
to project a better image for Sri Lanka in the foreign employment
market," it said. The National
Awards Ceremony will be held on October 19. The judges
would comprise representatives from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing,
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, the Ministry
of Labour and Employment, and four professionals. The evaluation criteria covers performance, marketing efforts, training facilities, business expansion efforts, the quality of service, complaints received from employers and employees, convictions in courts, and complaints from outsiders and from returnees. Asian
Paints enters Egyptian paints market According to
the agreement, Asian Paints (India) Ltd will purchase 60 percent
of the paid-up capital of SCIB CHEMICAL S.A.E. Egypt subject to
due diligence. The proposed investment amounts to approximately
US$ 5 million (about Rs 480 million) and will be made through Asian
Paints' wholly owned subsidiary based in Mauritius, Asian Paints
said in a statement. The balance 40 percent will be held by existing
promoters. A spokesman
for the company said the success of the Sri Lankan paintcompany
acquired in 1999 was one of the key drivers of the company's decision
to acquire the Egyptian paints company. Asian Paints
is India's largest paint company with a turnover of approximately
Rs 32.6 billion (around US$ 340 million). The company
sells over 200,000 MT of paint annually and is ranked amongst the
top 15 decorative coatings companies in the world. It is also India's largest exporter of paints, exporting to 22 markets in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle-East, and Africa. Dream
come true for Seylan's Renganathan "Personally
to me, the opening of a branch of Seylan Bank in my hometown is
a dream come true," said a proud Renganathan, now deputy chairman
of Seylan Bank. He said the
town has gone through some of the most difficult times in the history
of Sri Lanka with many lives and homes lost. "Seylan Bank believes
that it can play an important role in rebuilding the lives of the
people of this town," the deputy chairman said. The bank's
92nd branch was open by Lalith Kotelawala. Chairman of the Ceylinco
Consolidated in the presence of leading residents, industrialists,
business leaders, customers and top security personnel. "We believe
that we are all children of the universe, that all of us and every
human being on earth, has the right to live in equality without
discrimination, free from want and poverty and in peace, to pursue
each one's dream in life. This can only come through love for another,
understanding forgiveness and tolerance," he said. |
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