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Distance
learning from the World Bank The Distance
Learning Centre is one of the nodes on the World Bank's Global Development
Learning Network set up to address the learning needs of development
practitioners" in Sri Lanka, it said in a statement. The operation
in Sri Lanka is the first of its kind in South Asia, it said. Programmes
are done by international experts from the World Bank Institute
and other organisations." This helps the learners to understand
and share experiences and best practices," the statement said.
Some courses combine two-way multimedia videoconference sessions,
print packages, interactive web communications and face-to-face
tutorials. In addition, global dialogue sessions allow participants
to work together to address pressing issues that call for an international
response, the centre said. Courses are demand-driven, and sessions are tailor-made to meet the clients' requirements, it said. Some of the courses and global dialogues offered at the centre include a video conferencing session on "Global Dialogue on Electronic Security and Risk of Mitigation" to be held in September. Good
value brings Titan Edge to SL Titan Industries
Ltd has made a mark for itself in the world watch market having
started operations in 1987 and sold over 50 million watches up to
date. The company is locally represented by Easwaran Brothers (Pvt)
Ltd, also known as Good Value Distributors (Pvt) Ltd for the last
four-and-a-half years that markets and provides support services. Bijou Kurien,
Chief Operating Officer (Watches) of Titan Industries Ltd, India,
said that the Titan Edge creates an indelible mark in history that
brings together a combination of precision, styling and design.
The watch is
a fully jewelled quartz analog movement with water resistance of
up to 30 meters and includes a silicon chip that conserves power
and doubles the life of the battery. Kurien added that all these
features being brought into such slimness is what makes this achievement
special. The company plans to shortly commence an advertising campaign to market this latest product through a distribution of over 90 outlets in 45 towns in Sri Lanka. Titan is one of the largest integrated watch and jewellery manufacturer in the world producing over 6.6 million of watches annually. Its products are available in 32 countries with offices in London, Dubai and Singapore. (AA) Imperial
Teas - brand exporter of the year Its parent,
Imperial Teas, was awarded Gold in the Agricultural Traditional
Sector. Imperial Tea
Exports, which markets tea under its own brand name of Impra and
Miad, also won the Best Performance in the Agriculture Value Added
Tea Sector. The group,
with an annual turnover in excess of 12,000 tonnes valued at around
Rs. 3 billion, is the 8th largest tea exporter and occupies the
No.4 spot in value-added tea exports. Its main markets
are in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Middle East.
Its brands are also popular in parts of Asia, Europe and North America
The company
spends a million dollars a year on advertising and marketing. Imperial Teas
have participated in the NCE Awards since 1999 and won awards each
year. "Winning
the Brand Exporter of the Year Award in the past two years for our
brand 'Impra'' is one of our proudest moments," said a company
spokesman. "It has a presence in over 30 countries and is registered
in 11 countries." Imperial Tea Exports is involved in brand promotion in many of its markets such as Russia, the CIS, Singapore, Korea, Japan and the USA and has representative offices in Moscow and Dubai. BOI
pavilion at industrial fair The state-run
agency said its pavilion was distinctive as it was painted in black
both on the outside and inside with the interior being decorated
with massive posters and pennants. The BOI markets
the country as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
and this message was prominently displayed. Thousands of
visitors flocked to the pavilion where they were able to learn more
about FDI into Sri Lanka from BOI officers, many of who were Tamil
speakers. These BOI officials made available to the public copies of trilingual literature featuring the BOI's role as well as the potential of Trincomalee for developing industries and tourism. Janashakthi
says to merge with NIC "The combined
agency forces of JICL and NIC are substantial and their widespread
distribution channels would be a catalyst in reaching more people
with a full range of innovative insurance products and services,"
said Chandra Schaffter, JICL Managing Director. JICL acquired
a 51 percent stake of NIC for Rs. 450 million in June last year
and subsequently bought almost the entire employee share holding
as well. NIC had around 100,000 customers served by 725 employees,
800 agents and 30 branches in popular provincial towns at the time
it was acquired by Janashakthi, a company statement said. NIC has improved
its profits through cost cutting ventures and rationalisation one
year after the acquisition, Janashakthi said. Janashakthi
has promised that the existing staff of NIC would retain their jobs
inspite of the merging of the two companies. "The issue
is not the actual numbers but how you manage and make them productive
to drive an organisation to be innovative, add value and be profitable,"
Director/General Manager of JICL, Prakash Schaffter, said. After
the transaction, Janashakthi announced that it would not make any
"immediate changes" to the existing Board of Directors
of NIC which comprises of Chairman Nissanka Wije-wardena, Managing
Director C.T.A. Schaffter, and Executive Directors Prakash Schaffter
and Tryphon R. Mirando, and W.T. Ellawala and L.C.R.De C Wijethunga.
NIC commenced
business in 1980 as a solely government-owned corporation, and was
run under the principal agency system with eight principal agents.
It flourished
for several years despite the serious set backs brought on by the
1983 ethnic riots and in 1984 its non-Life business exceeded that
of its only competitor, the Insurance Corporation of Sri Lanka and
posed a serious threat to the latter." Tragedy however
struck it in 1987 with the establishment of private companies, and
with the exodus of its principal agents - each to seek its fortune
in the world of private enterprise,"
the statement said. Thus NIC was left high and dry." At the time
of the initial acquisition, JICL saw that even though the financial
results of NIC were not very impressive at that point, there was
great potential for increased earnings and value addition,"
the statement said. "The belief
was that if the synergies between the two entities were effectively
harnessed, stakeholder value could be substantially enhanced,"
it said. "NIC had a market share equal to JICL, providing an
excellent opportunity to expand" |
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