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Marketers need to get on director boards
By Hiran Senewiratne
Sri Lanka's marketing profession is not getting the recognition it deserves as it's not involved in the strategic management issues of companies, according to the three gold award winners at the recently concluded CIM Marketer of the Year 2001.

"Marketing as a profession has not yet reached its full potential in Sri Lanka given the globalised dimension," said Ravi Liyanage, the gold winner in large category.

He said marketing professionals by and large were often not appointed to director boards in most of the companies and this is one of the drawbacks.

The marketing profession has seen slow growth due to the fact that many local companies have not realised their importance compared to multinational firms, which operate here, who identify the potential amongst marketers and maximize this enormous resource. However Liyanage said some local companies have recognised this fact and the contribution to the business by marketing professionals.

Liyanage, marketing manager at Ceylinco Insurance Company Ltd, is a CIM graduate who studied at Isipathana College.

Reckitt Benckiser's Health and Personal Care Category Manager Rohantha Athukorala, who was awarded the gold in the medium sector category, also agreed that the marketing profession has not peaked in Sri Lanka.

He urged every marketer to get qualified in order to improve awareness on marketing.

The launch of the first antibacterial plaster in the country and "habit formation" programmes on infection control among school children which was also endorsed by UNICEF are some of his achievements.

Athukorala is a graduate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and has also read for the Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.

"Be an overall business manager with skills in financial management and focus on brand marketing was his advice to young marketers.

"To succeed in professional life, one should take a leaf from mountain hiking - sometimes you may have to move downwards to climb a higher mountain," noted Prasanna Perera, gold award winner in CIM's small category.

He said while the marketing profession is gradually gaining professional status in the private sector, it has a long way to go in the public sector.

Perera is currently resident manager of Tetra Pak, a multinational company which offers processing and packaging solutions to the food and beverages industry. "I was the one who introduced the Tetra Pak concept to the country which provides protection to the food industry," he said.

Perera is also an academic co-ordinator at the University of Leicester in the UK in addition to lecturing at the Institute of Personnel Management.

Online company registrations
The Department of the Registrar of Companies has now installed the entire
registration process on-line via their new Website www.drc.gov.lk.

This project is spearheaded on the IT front by e-wis, the IBM and Lotus Software business partner in Sri Lanka and an online payment gateway is provided by Sampath Bank to enable people visiting the site to make all necessary payments by using their Mastercard, Visa Card or Sampath debit Card.

An agreement to this effect was recently signed between Sampath Bank and the Registrar of Companies. Picture shows Anil Amarasuriya, Managing Director, Sampath Bank (centre) and D K Hettiarachchi, Registrar of Companies signing the agreement in the company of (from left) Sanjeewa Wickremanayake, CEO, e-wis, Ranjith Narangoda, AGM - Card Center & Systems Development, Sampath Bank and Sarath Kumara, Accountant (from the department).

New lease facilities from Seylan Bank
Seylan Merchant Bank has launched a new lease facility called the 'SMB Jet Lease' to spearhead its campaign to disburse funds and enlarge its leasing portfolio over the next four months.

The main features of the product are quick service and competitive interest rates, the bank's Director/Deputy General Manager, Sheanath De Soysa, said.

The Jet Lease facility from the Ceylinco Consolidated subsidiary is granted for up to five years on registered, unregistered and brand new vehicles.

The first-year insurance for the vehicle can be paid off in 10 equal monthly instalments.

Customers will also receive an 'SMB Jet Lease Discount Card', which enables them to receive attractive discounts on vehicle repairs and motor spares from over 100 vendors.

Customers who obtain leases exceeding Rs 200,000 using the 'SMB Jet Lease' facility will receive a free life insurance cover of Rs 100,000 as an incentive.

"SMB Jet Lease is a value-added product and has been improved to give the customer a range of benefits throughout the period of the lease," De Soysa said.

The bank has also made it possible for customers to receive additional benefits if payments are made on time, he said.

If arrears are less than one rental throughout the first year of the lease, the customer would be eligible to receive a loan not exceeding five percent of the lease value, which is repayable in 10 equal monthly instalments and can be used for engine repairs, painting and replacement of tyres.

If arrears are less than one rental throughout the first two years, customers will be eligible for a replacement motor vehicle at a nominal rate in the event of an accident.

Alpha launches home furniture collection
Alpha Furniture X'Clusive has introduced a new range of furniture which includes bookracks, entertainment units, computer tables, wardrobes and dressing tables.

Referred to as the 'Home Collection', these products now available at the Alpha showrooms in Colpetty, Duplication Road, Kalubowila, Negombo, Kandy, Panadura, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Horana, Matara, Kantale, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Malabe, a company statement said.

The company is an ISO certified firm catering to both home as well as office furniture requirements.

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