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Cathay Pacific's Asia Miles programme successful
Cathay Pacific Airways' Asia Miles programme, launched in 1999, has quickly established itself as a winner in Asia reaching 1.5 million members worldwide in just over three-and-half years.

"Asia Miles is continuing to grow rapidly and we expect membership to hit the two million mark by the end of 2003," said Ron Mathison, General Manager Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programmes. Asia Miles is Asia's leading Travel Reward Programme with over 150 partners in 13 categories. The 14 airline partners are Cathay Pacific Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Asiana Airlines, Aer Lingus, Japan Airlines, Japan Asia Airways, Dragonair, China Eastern Airlines, Swiss, Finnair, Iberia and Lan Chile.

Ceylinco Life trains managers for CIAM qualification
Twenty-eight senior managers of Ceylinco Life recently completed a Managers Skills Seminar, one of the steps leading to the Chartered Insurance Agency Manager (CIAM) designation awarded by the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA) of USA.

This is the first batch of insurance professionals in Sri Lanka to complete this training, which forms a component of the highest internationally recognized qualification for agency managers in life insurance, the company said.
The group comprised Regional Sales Managers, Business Development Managers and designated trainers of Ceylinco Life.

Polytex Garments gets ISO 14001 status
Polytex Garments Ltd, established in 1977, recently received the ISO 14001 certification of environmental management system from the Sri Lanka Standards Institution.

The company, one of the leading garment manufacturers in the world and part of the world famous Esquel Group, is the first garment factory here to receive this certification.

The Esquel group is a top cotton apparel manufacturer producing five million dozens of garments and $ 500 million in turnovers. It has a 44,000 strong multinational workforce and 20 manufacturing facilities and sales offices in countries including Sri Lanka.

Lanka Vision telecasts to Europe, Middle East
Lanka Vision International Pvt Ltd has signed a contract with an Italian TV company to broadcast Sri Lankan programmes through satellite transmission services covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East for two hours per week for a year.

The company said it would be producing 104 programmes during this duration on the country's history, culture, places of interest and other issues. It said this was a good opportunity for companies to get publicity on production and services of Sri Lankan origin in Europe and other countries.

UK trade mission in Colombo
A trade mission organised by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and led by its deputy chief executive Peter Bishop will be visiting Colombo from November 25 to 29, the British High Commission said.

"Sri Lanka is an interesting market for British companies and furthermore through the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement, Sri Lanka has created increasing interest as a gateway to the burgeoning India market," Bishop was quoted as saying.

The 13-member delegation covers a wide range of goods and services like tractors, electronic data logging equipment, textile industry equipment, electrical goods, trucks, electronic de-bugging equipment, wastepaper and aviation consultancy.

Xerox records impressive sales
Newly formed XeSol (Pvt) Ltd, an Alliance group company, has recorded impressive sales of Xerox office automation products for the first six months of operation at Rs. 20 million.

Country Manager Xerox Harish Menon said the sales figures achieved by the company is encouraging and "it is good to know that Xerox - a well known product in the past - is still a force to be reckoned with."

Xerox will in December launch the PHASER 6200 series Colour Printers, which is an A4 laser printer. Menon said that they were determined to re-establish Xerox as the market leader in Sri Lanka and would soon be expanding operations to other major towns.

Janashakthi, NIC policy holders under one umbrella
Janashakthi (JIC) recently handed out its 120,000th Janaratha Motor Insurance Policy, the company said.

It said JIC is launching its entire motor insurance portfolio including that of the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) - which it recently acquired - under the Janaratha brand name, bringing both businesses under one umbrella brand which will benefit both NIC and JIC policy holders through the extensive network islandwide.

Janashakthi has not only won new customers but ensured that they remain with the company in continuingly improving service standards. These along with prudent management and good corporate governance have enhanced its image as a socially responsible company whilst delivering greater and consistent value to customers, employees, shareholders and the country at large, the statement added.

IT strategies for the new economy
The Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA) will conduct a workshop on December 9 in Colombo on the topic "IT strategies for the new economy".

A critical analysis on how to integrate technology, process and people to meet the expectations of the new economy will be the focus of the workshop. M.S. Jayaraman, a senior consultant specialising in IT Strategies and BPR, will conduct the workshop. He is Chennai-based and is currently a consultant (IT strategies and Telemedicine).

Apparel marketing diploma
The Chartered Institute of Marketing is currently enrolling the second batch of students for its new Postgraduate Diploma in Apparel Marketing. The course, launched in July, is conducted by the CIM in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters' Association.Enrolment for the second batch has been expanded to 100 students because of "an overwhelming interest in the programme from those employed in the industry", they said in a statement.

Lion aims for higher ISO certification
Lloyds Registry of Quality Assurance has recommended that the Lion Brewery Ceylon Limited (LBCL) be awarded the next level of ISO Quality Certification, 9001-2000.

The brewer, a subsidiary of The Ceylon Brewery Limited (CBL), is presently certified under ISO 9002:1994.

"The focal point of the present certification has been the ensuring of performance improvements through processes and system enhancements that directly result in greater customer satisfaction," said E. Vinayakarajah, Manager, Quality and Product Development of Lion. Lion, which has over 150 years of brewing experience in Sri Lanka, exports its products to the USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Lebanon, Maldives, Japan and Australia.

Did you know?
Eighty percent of the world's 20 poorest countries today have suffered from a major conflict in the past 15 years. Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of conflict. Recognizing that conflict is a major constraint to development, the World Bank - according to a recent statement - views conflict prevention and reconstruction as central to its mission of poverty reduction.

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