Time share holidays

Pay now go on holiday 30 years later!

Domestic Tourists intent on beating the spiralling cost of inflation in holidaying have now been provided that opportunity by Oasis (Pvt) Ltd., and its marketing partner Worldwide Holidays.

The Oasis, situated in the deep south in Sisilasagama, Hambantota, is the country's first ever Time-Share resort which offers the members of its special ownership programme a week's to a month's stay a year for the next thirty years at today's prices.

The Time-Share programme basically entails a couple, or a larger family making a lump sum deposit with the resort for apartmental space.

While a couple could take a single unit, larger families will have to take two or three units depending on the number of adult family members since only two adults are entitled to a unit.

Children under twelve years of age are however entitled to share a single unit with their parents.

The Oasis is affiliated to Resorts Condominium International (RCI), the world's premier Time-Share organization, which means that a member of the programme can gift, will, bank, sell, rent or exchange a holiday week or weeks at any of the 4000 RCI Resorts worldwide. Worldwide Holidays spokesman Nalin Hapuhinne said that the Time-Share concept began in France about 25 years ago with the establishment of a small holiday resort comprising a few rooms by Madame Crystal de Hans.

Although initially started in a small way with 50 participant families, the idea took root fast and became a global movement.

Thus was formed the RCI which today controls 75 per cent of all Time-Sharing activities worldwide.

The RCI, which is included among the Fortune 500 top companies is based in Indianapolis, USA and functions through its regional subsidiaries.

Mr. Hapuhinne explained that all Time-Share resorts including the Oasis divide their membership into three categories, namely, the Red Season Vacationers who may occupy their units anytime of the year, the White Season Vacationers who may occupy their units only at a specified period ranging from 7-8 months, and the Blue Season Vacationers who are entitled to occupy their units during off-season periods ranging from 4-5 months a year.

Besides selling, renting or exchanging their holiday weeks, members could also opt to spend two or more weeks at the resort continuously by foregoing their future entitlements for the period taken.

Members who wish to exchange their time with their overseas counterparts have only to contact Worldwide Holidays and give the necessary details such as the duration of the proposed stay and participating members.

The holiday swap will thereafter be handled by RCI Asia Pacific in Singapore, RCI's worldwide regional representative.

In this manner, domestic vacationers could have access to 4000 tourist resorts in 93 countries across the globe spanning America, Europe, the Caribbean and the African continent. Since Oasis conforms to the prestigious Gold Crown standards, proposed vacation exchanges are expected to be well received internationally.

Time-Sharers are also entitled to discounts of 10-25 per cent on food, beverage and bar. According to Worldwide Holidays Managing Director Ajith Ratnayake, the Oasis's 15 Time-Share units can accommodate 750 one-week vacationers.He said that to date, 187 domestic vacationers have become members of the Oasis's Time Share programme and have taken units for periods ranging from 1-4 weeks a year.

Besides its 15 Time Share units, Oasis has 60 other rooms for conventional tourists and entailed an initial investment of Rs. 240 million. when the second phase of the project is completed shortly, said Mr. Ratnayake.

Sandwiched as it is between the Indian Ocean and a tranquil southern lake, the resort affords a quick visit to Hambantota's hot water wells, famous salterns and its unspoilt beaches stretching over several miles, besides a number of archaeological and religious sites.

Other attractions include a wide selection of conventional hotel games and sports, elephant rides and weekend barbecue nights.

A mini golf course is also due to be completed shortly.

Mr. Ratnayake added that four other Time-Share resorts are planned for the near future.

The first, which is scheduled to come up in Kandy in about a year's time will be shortly followed by others which are planned to be set up in Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura and Negombo.

Training Link Internationals second workshop

Training Link International (Pvt) Ltd., is a recently established training company with the overall objective of making a positive contribution towards organisational and personal development enabling our companies and individuals to be competitive in a rapidly changing global environment, says a company release. Training Link has selected internationally reputed trainers with the ability to conduct high quality training programmes for those who are keen to maximise their potential by enhancing their skills and knowledge. Training Link was responsible for organising the visit of Peter Martini, who was in Sri Lanka in June and July this year conducting workshops on 'High Performance Leadership through Team Building.'

The next trainer will be Dr. Ian McLean, an internationally acclaimed trainer who has conducted high quality workshops in many parts of the world including USA. Dr. McLean is expected to visit Sri Lanka in October to conduct workshops with the theme 'Dynamic Ideas for Peak Performance'.

During his stay in Sri Lanka, Dr. McLean will conduct a three-day workshop open to the public from October 21 to 23 at Hotel Lanka Oberoi and two-day industry specific workshop for the 'Tourism and Hotel Industry' on October 16 and 17 at Holiday Inn, Colombo, the company release says. Dr. McLean is an accomplished speaker being the Immediate Past President of the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Association. His workshops are filled with accelerated learning, challenging activities and sharing of group's experience.

Kushan Dha-rmawardena, Managing Director of Training Link International (Pvt) Ltd., included Dr. McLean in the list of selected international trainers to visit Sri Lanka mainly because Dr. McLean has the ability to help people to maximise their potential. Dr. McLean's workshops will expose participants to a variety of proven techniques which can help people to maximise their business and personal potential thereby becoming a benefit to themselves, their organisation, their loved ones and the community, says the release.

SIA spent $ 300m on luxury changes

Singapore Airlines travellers will soon benefit from it's biggest ever product launch and introduction of new service features.

General Manager SIA in Sri Lanka Paul Goh told journalists that new services have been introduced in all three classes on its MEGATOP 747's which also operates to Colombo.

A statement issued by the airline said SIA has put in an investment of about US, $ 300 million for the new product launch.

SIS Deputy Chairman and CEO Cheong Choong Kong said that although the current product continues to rank among the best in the industry, it was time to make a bold and exciting change.

'We wanted to send a very clear message to the industry, as our customers expect the best of SIA and the best is what they will get.

Any airline that attempts to steal a march on us in the all important areas of product and services does so in the knowledge that their advantage can only be temporary', he said.

'In addition to changes to the first, Raffles and Economy Class products, SIA has also introduced new flight cuisine and other service features including a luxurious First Class check=in reception at Singapore Changi Airport', he said.

After more than two years of planning the airline launched the products,which involve every dimension of the customer's travel experience with the airline.This being the biggest ever investment in the product.

The launch comes at a time when East Asia is in the grip of economic turmoil, but SIA officials claim that it is not departing from its philosophy of prudent financial management.

At a time when most airlines are cutting cost and retrenching, Singapore airlines takes a positive outlook by claiming that the airline will take advantage of the softer market conditions and the Asian financial crisis to expand the SIA Group's business.

SIA's Executive Vice President [commercial] Michael Tan said that SIA commenced planning this launch more than two years ago,long before the crisis took effect.

'But crisis or no crisis we are an international airline, competing on the world stage.

Not all of our competitors are in Asia .We have to compete with airlines in America and Europe.

And they are continuing to enhance their own products.We must forge ahead and reassert our leadership in high quality service and product innovation. SIA also launched a luxurious First Class check=in reception at Singapore Chengi Airport.

The other features included in the First Class service were the redesigned First Class cabin with the seat capacity being reduced from 16 to 12 adding exclusiveness and unprecedented privacy and personal attention.

The individual mini suites offer seat beds,a hotel style retractable desk for working or dining ,and a 14 inch fold away video monitor the largest ever provided for an individual passenger on an international airline. Passengers are served with the finest meals created by seven of the worlds most renowned chefs and culinary experts including Paris's most celebrated gourmet, Georges Blanc.

The Raffles Class passengers too would be able to savour the new changes with the increased seat width and height, a privacy divider personal in seat reading light,and in seat power supply for lab top personal computers and a collapsible front edge for the seat base cushion. The passengers will also enjoy the use of active noise cancelling headphones presently a first class luxury.

The Economy Class can also enjoy the new facilities with the much improved seats, enhanced with adjustable headsets,side 'ears' and footrest,making Economy Class flying a luxury.Passengers will be offered champagne throughout the flight.

INdustrial Relations Forum

Q1: Can we deduct staff loan & Festival Advance instalments from the half-month salary of an employee who is under interdiction/ suspension?

There is a maximum limit for authorized deductions from the salary, which is 60% for shop & office employees and 50% for Wages Board employees. If the employee is paid half salary, the maximum deduction will go down by 50%. Accordingly you can deduct 50% of loan/festival advance instalments during interdiction.

Q2: I was a bank employee. I was interdicted pending investigation into certain charges. The charge sheet was served after about a year. After the inquiry I was reinstated but was not paid back wages and other monetary benefits other employees enjoyed. If I was found guilty of these charges could the bank reinstate me? If for some reason I was reinstated am I entitled to the financial benefits referred to above. Is there a time limit to make an appeal to the labour tribunal or any other authority?

1. Normally a person is re-instated for the reason that charges have not been proved. The employee will be dismissed if the charges proved are of the serious nature. If charges are proved, still your employer can reinstate you if he considers that they are not serious enough to dismiss you. Further, an employee can be reinstated with a punishment lesser than dismissal and the employer can withhold payments for the period of interdiction and that can also be a form of punishment. Unlike state service, there is no law relating to this matter and everything depends on the procedure followed by the employer.

2. If you have been dismissed you can apply for relief to the Labour Tribunal within six months from the date of notification of the dismissal.

Q 3: Recently a performance evaluation was held for the first time and annual increments were granted based on that. This interview was not conducted impartially. I have many reasons to show the evaluation was impartial.

As a result some of my colleagues got a higher increment. Based on incorrect facts, the management issued me a letter stating that my performance is not good. When I made an appeal what my boss said was that I did not have a legal standing to go to courts. He says that I cannot go to LT because (a) my service was not terminated (b) I was not deprived of my increment (though it is less than what my peers got).

My questions are as follows

[1] Can I go to the LT?
[21 Can I go to the Supreme Court on the grounds of fundamental rights violation?

To request for

[1] A reasonable increment which is more than what I have already got
[2] Some form of compensation for the mental damage caused.

1. You cannot go before the L.T. as there is no termination of service.

2. Violation of the fundamental right for equal treatment can be taken up before the supreme court only against the state. We are not sure whether your employer is the state or not. In private sector the employers pay additional increments to certain employees depending on their performance and it is based on an evaluation of performance done by the employer.

Q4: 1. Please be kind enough to let us know who is entitled to receive the monthly allowance given on the basis of cost of living index? Are they the government, mercantile or corporation employees? Could you also inform us which categories of employees are entitled for this allowance?

2. As you know there are many Sri Lankans working for various foreign embassies in Sri Lanka. Are they employed under Sri Lankan labour laws and if not so what are their rights? Are they entitled for EPF/ETF? If a foreign mission is paying EPF and ETF what does it indicate? Can they stop it at any time? Please be kind enough to help us by clarifying these doubts?

1. There is no requirement that an allowance based on the cost of living index be paid to employees, unless you are covered by a collective agreement with such a provision (E.g.: bank employees). In certain companies the employees are paid non-recurring cost of living gratuity, based on the COL index, but it is not a legal requirement and most of the occasions such payment is included in a collective agreement. At present the government employee do not receive cost of living allowance.

2. Sri Lankan labour laws does not cover employees working in foreign embassies.

Q5: We are working in a tea factory and need the following information very early

(1) Can the management force the female workers to report for night work?

(2) How many hours should they work in the night. Is there a limit for the number of days they should work per month even if willing?

(3) Are they entitled to any special rate of payment?

(4) The relevant Wages Board Act Number governs this.

(5) It is said that any fines cannot be deducted from a workers wages without the consent of the worker concerned. Could you let us know the relevant Act No. etc.

1. Management cannot force a female worker to work in the night without her consent. In addition, the consent of the Labour Commissioner if necessary.

2. No female can be employed for more than ten days of night work during a month.

3. For night work they should be paid one and a half times the normal payment.

4. The above provisions are made under the Employment of Women, Young persons and Childrens Act.

5. A fine up to 5% of earnings can be made with the consent of the employee. Under wages Board ordinance it is stated that such a fine can be imposed on an employee for the offences specified in the Act.

Q6: I was Manager of a Garment Factory. I was suddenly asked to leave without giving any reason. I wanted the employer to pay me the month's salary in lieu of notice and statutory benefits like EPF & ETF. The employer ignores my requests. What relief could I get and to whom could I complain? The labour officers of the area are good with the employer and rarely entertain employees' complaints.

1. If your consider that your services have been terminated in an unfair manner, you can go before a Labour Tribunal and seek relief or compensation within 6 months from the date of termination

2. Regarding non-payment of EPF/ETF you may make a complaint to the district Labour office or the commissioner of labour.

Q 7: 1. I was attached to one of the sports Associations as a coach on a part time basis. I was paid a monthly allowance but statutory deductions and provisions were not made, but deducted for withholding tax. Am I entitled to claim E.P.F. & E.T.F?

2. Can an Employer deduct loan and festival Advance instalments from an employee's half salary when under interdiction?

1. Your question is not clear. Please forward us a copy of your contract of employment with the sports Association. Please clearly state the amount of allowance statutory deductions made, amount deducted as withholding tax etc.

2. You can deduct 50% of the loan and festival advance instalments, when employee is paid half a month salary.

Q 8: Under the Shop & Office Act & the Wages Board Ordinance, we are not allowed to deduct the damages caused to the company by a worker without his consent. What can an employer could do if the employee refuses to pay for the damages caused by him, and does not give his consent to recover from his salary?

Under the shop & office employees act and the wages board ordinance the "authorized deductions" are clearly defined. The employees consent is necessary to make any deduction from his salary earned by him. If the employee has caused damage to the employer, he can go before the civil courts to recover the damage caused by the employee.

Q 9: I work on an annual contract basis for a government organisation with foreign funding coming under a government ministry. In the current contracts for 1998/1999, the sick leave entitlement has been reduced to 7 days per year from last years contract entitlement of 21 days. The annual leave entitlement has been given as 14 days and casual leave as 7 days. Is not the 21 days of sick leave a legal entitlement?

It is not clear whether you are a government employee or not. The government employees are given leave in terms of Govt. regulations. If you are not a government employee you are covered by the shop and office employees act, which grants only 7 days casual leave and 14 days annual leave. In any act applicable to employment there is no provision for "sick leave".

Q10: Can an assistant manager of a company who was found guilty of embezzling company's funds and resigns 6 months later to start his own business be entitled to gratuity on his resignation ? To whom should he apply for relief?

An employee is not entitled to receive gratuity if his services have been terminated for fraud or misappropriation of the funds of the employer. If the employee has resigns and the employer has accepted the resignation, it means that he has not been found guilty for any acts of fraud or misappropriation. Therefore he is entiled to receive gratuity. He can apply to the commissioner of labour for relief.

Q11: In our establishment there are employees under the (1) Shop and Office Act (2) Wages Board under Printing Trade. If they work on Public Holidays and on Sundays how is the overtime paid to the two categories?

Is there a difference in overtime payments on these days to (1) Monthly paid Employees and (2) Daily paid Employees.

1. a) Sundays

Shop/Office employees should be paid 1 1/2 (One and half) times of OT for normal working hours and 2 1/2 times after the normal working hours per hour determined by dividing the monthly salary by 240. In addition they should be granted a day's lieu leave. Wages Board employees are entitled for 3 times the hourly rate which, in this instance is determined by dividing the monthly rate by 200.

b) Public Holidays

A shop/office employee should be given an extra holiday or one day's lieu leave and it will be same even for Wages Board employees.

2. In the case of daily paid employees the overtime rate is 1 1/2 times determined by dividing the daily wage by 8.

Tharuna Aruna helps to cut down personnel costs

There will be a meeting of CEOs and HRD Managers of companies that support the 'Tharuna Aruna' programme on Wednesday 23rd September at the Committee Room 'B' of the BMICH. The meeting will be held from 3.00 PM to 5.00 PM.

The Chief guest on this occasion would be Dr.P.B.Jayasundere, Deputy Secretary to of the Treasury. Mr.P.N.Nanadadasa, Chairman of Flexport Ltd, Mr.Winston Dias, GM of Shiran Garments, Mr.D.B.W. Manamperi of Manamperi Stores (Pvt) Ltd. are scheduled to make presentations. Mr. M. Selvanathan (Chairman), Mr. Patrick Amarasinghe (Director) and Mr.Dharmasiri Dissanayake (CEO) of the Tharuna Aruna Institute (TAI) will also take part of the proceedings.

TAI, which helps the graduates' trainee placements in the private sector, has already arranged training facilities for some 1,300 graduates in 350 medium and large-scale private firms in variety of fields. The Institute is paying a monthly allowance of Rs.3, 000 to each trainee as a subsidy towards the payroll cost. Employers could make use of the database of more than 10,000 prospective trainees registered to save recruitment costs.

TAI also runs a skills development program for the benefit of young graduates to make them appropriate for jobs in the private sector.

New series on plantations

Machines bring dignity to thottam

By Ruvini Jayasinghe

At the beginning there were no takers. They looked at the machines with suspicion.

What if the sharp blade on the pan cut Ponnama's fingers as she worked at lightning speed to pluck more kilos than the others?

Never mind that, her index finger was caroused with long years of plucking the two leaves and the bud, now even three leaves and the Dorai assured her that the new machine would not damage her finger or anything else.

What if those steel wheels turning at a crazy speed injured Kndasamy? No, he preferred to use a knife to prune the bushes.

Automation has been slow and painful in the plantations … The estate worker does not like change as a rule.

But addressing the twin problems of low yields and high cost of production, the management of newly privatised plantations realised that enriching the soil alone is not sufficient to improve overall productivity. Automation was almost an inevitability, a lesson to be learnt from other plantation countries like Kenya and India. The rest had to be achieved by improving their human resources.

Sri Lanka's yields per hectare on tea plantations is one of the lowest in tea growing countries. (Pls. see graph on page 1 )

Using simple psychology, highly motivated managers and their assistants approached the younger generation to adopt to change.

Change was never compulsory, merely voluntary. And the results were rewarding as statistics indicate.

Now Nalliah, of Great Western Estate, Talawakelle has improved his performance from 150 to 900 bushes a day with a pruning machine.

The hand operated, petrol powered pruning machines costing Rs. 42,000 is a simple device fabricated to yield a high performance.

Each tree is cut twice once lightly on top so that the leaf forms a protective bed for the topsoil and again to chop off half the bush. The chopped branches are given free to estate workers, for firewood.

At Craig Estate Poonagala, a shear introduced by the TRI has been a solid solution to a low worker turnout. (See the story in box) Manager D.M.D.Dissanayake and Ex Assistant Manager H. S. Dhanapala instrumental in introducing the shear to willing hands said that the workers complained of difficulty in handling the machine. The management had to then fabricate a machine according to specifications given by the workers themselves and now all seems to be well.

Shears are used on two to three year old fields, twice a year.

The light aluminum or plastic device in the shape of a tray seems easy to handle. Some estates use a long bladed shear with a tray attached.

It is difficult to estimate the overall extent of automation on the plantations. Managers' individuality, commitment, beliefs and application to innovation play a pivotal role in the automation of the plantations.

At Great western in Talawakelle, Manager Maithree Liyanage believes in reducing his workers' fatigue level by sending them home early. He adapts to automation quickly, realizing the increase in productivity and shortening of man-hours. But an older or another breed of manager may not agree.

As Liyanage himself says, some managers think he is foolish to make life easier and labour more dignified for his workers, while simultaneously increasing productivity and cutting costs. The "tea plucker" has lived like this for over a century, why do you want to improve their status now, they ask.

Improving worker conditions extends from the field to the factory on some estates, again like Great Western, which is really an award winning, model plantation. Here workers have piped music (prevents tendency to stop work to chat) wear boots, protective/hygienic head gear and have their own lockers in their rest/lunch room. Separate toilets are at hand for men and women, not miles away out in the cold.

At the workers' entrance to the factory is a big bath of disinfected water into which all workers dip their feet before coming in. Every machine has a worker's name on it indicating responsibility for the condition of the machine.

And a television in the factory has solved the poor worker turnout on the Hindi and Tamil movie days. The workers are allowed to watch the movie in the factory premises and then get back to work.

At Great Western the Japanese style for management has paid rich dividends. A Rs. 9 million loss has been turned around into a Rs. 15 million profit under Liyanage.

Similarly crèche facilities have improved worker attendance greatly. Where earlier either the mother or the father would opt out of work when a newborn arrives, now both report to work leaving the child in the well cared for crèche. All estates visited had crèches run by trained attendants.

Low worker turnout is becoming a threatening problem especially in areas close to villages or towns. The younger generation tends to mingle with the village or townspeople and prefer to work in a factory or other establishments because it is perceived as being more dignified than estate work.

It was therefore a priority for many reasons to promote the dignity of labour in the plantations.

Automation was the solution that not only increased output and performance but also created dignity of work.

Now the worker who uses a tool or a machine sees himself as a technician rather than a labourer. Managers who do not underestimate the value of their human resource have redefined workers identities like pruning technician and plantation workers instead on tea plucker and labourer. Or a security guard instead of a watcher.

Together with the upliftment of their status in the field and factory a similar upliftment is seen in their homes.

Workers are now being given five to seven perches of land free and financial assistance to build their own homes.

Much has been achieved. But still some workers go barefoot in the field, climbing the steep hills as surefooted as mountain goats. Are their bare feet an asset in negotiating these steep climbs? Or will rubber boots simply add to the cost of production per kilo?

What about gloves for the factory workers and even the field workers? Is it difficult for them to grip their two leaves and bud or the shear or it just too expensive?

What about that heavy basket on their heads carrying kilos of leaf? Isn't there an easier, less heavy method to carry that weight? We are looking into it, say some mangers.

At least now the weighing is done on the field and workers are saved a long trek to the weighing shed twice a day from their fields.

Then what about toilets? Raincoats are given, so are some nourishing meals or drink during work on some estates.

Estate workers' basic daily wage has gone up from Rs. 83/- per day to Rs. 95/- +6/- in the recent past thanks to unionism and enlightened management. If you really work out the numbers estate workers have got a salary increase of Rs. 450/- per month the Planters' Association points out.

Their dead are buried at the management's expense, medical and maternity expenses met, injuries and sudden illness immediately attended to, say the managements.

Worker welfare goes beyond birth, illness and death into co-perative societies, playground and sports meets, etc etc etc. managements say.

In fact they have an all round better deal than, for example his counterpart in a village - a poor farmer who is not entitled to any of this welfare, managers point out.

Why then is the plantation worker numbers diminishing? Is it only a slower growth in estate population or is it a migration to better jobs?

Plantation workers are victims of their birth and circumstances. Hardly anyone from the outside goes looking for field jobs in the plantations. Only those born in plantations will follow their forefathers to till the land……

Obviously much more has to be achieved to develop the human resource in the plantations. Like the award winning manager Maithri Liyanage said, "Worker welfare is like a marathon without a finishing line…"

But at least we are seeing a glimmer of a start…..

Next week
Home is where the heart is

World Standards Day on Oct 14

National Quality Week will be observed from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 October and the World Standards Day on Wednesday October 14.

The theme for this year's World Standards Day and National Quality Week is: "Standards in Daily Life", says an SLSI press release.

The National Quality Week is a part of the on-going Quality Promotional Campaign started by the SLSI in 1984 and observed every year to create an awareness on the necessity of Quality Assurance in our daily activities at the Factory/Workplace.

The World Standards Day is celebrated on October 14 and activity initiated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and SLSI has arranged the NQW to coincide with the World Standards Day.

This is an annual public awareness compaign that encourages individuals and organizations to focus on the importance of Standardization, Quality and continuous improvement.

Sri Lanka Standards Institution expects to disseminate the message of importance of practising standardization and quality assurance in industry, services organisations and also the benefits accrued therefrom to the general public.

During the National Quality Week, organisations are requested to hoist 'Q' Flags' in their premises.

Arrangements have already been made with Lanka Salusala to have Q flags, available for sale at their outlets.

Clarion helps save industry Rs.100m

Clarion International, Sri Lanka's best energy management company, has over the years carried out a wide variety of projects in electrical engineering.

As the market leader for power factor correction capacitors, Clarion International is currently helping the country's industry save over Rs.100 million annually. Having been in the field for more than ten years Clarion is the sole representative for FRAKO Kondensatoren and Anlagenbau GmnH of Germany today.

Today electricity cost has become the concern of every company's budget and energy cost will continue to rise at a much faster rate than any other commodity. Therefore power factor correction has become a necessity to keep electricity cost down. In fact in certain countries a penalty is imposed on businesses where power factor is not kept at a reasonable level.

Clarion international in a bid to save energy has put forward several facilities, firstly they provide Ceylon Electricity Board sponsored low interest loans, recovery of investment in twelve to eighteen months, unprecedented FRAKO warranty of 4 year and the guarantee of saving is also on the cards.

Managing Director of Clarion International Limited Barnes Abeywardena explained that todate the company has installed over 300 Automatic capacitor systems in over 45 different industries countrywide. ' Tradition at Clarion is its total commitment to quality, customer service and responsibility. Over the year specialist engineers, technicians and other staff have kept this tradition to serve our several customers.

Efficiency advice from BESO expert

British Executive Service Overseas (BESO) is a UK based independent, non-profit organisation which sends experienced men and women overseas to provide assistance to private enterprises and public and private sector organisations that cannot afford commercial consultants.

BESO aims to provide free advice and training which enhance efficiency in industry, commerce and administration promoting employment and an increase in earning power. Technical, professional and managerial skills are given to support a wide range of projects.

Alec Gillibrand, OBE,ACXB, Regional Director of BESO will be in Sri Lanka from Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 September to meet members of the business community and to explore opportunities for BESO assistance. He will, amongst others, meet the Secretary, Ministry of Industrial Development, the Deputy British High Commissioner and will conduct a session at the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries.

BESO" s local resident representative in Colombo is Dr. Sarath Abayawardana of Unilever Ceylon Ltd.

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