Standard Chartered Sri Lanka has announced the appointment of Anuk De Silva as the Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, effective 19 March 2020. He will also function as a member of the Bank’s Country Management Team, and will report to Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka. Anuk is backed by over 15 years of experience in Marketing, Communications & Branding, Digital Marketing, Public Relations and Journalism. His last corporate stint was at Brandix, where he oversaw the Corporate Communications and Branding functions of the company. He has also been a part-time News Presenter at TNL Radio Network for over a decade and a Visiting Lecturer at the Human Resource Management Institute. More recently, he took a few years off from work to pursue a Master of Commerce in Marketing at the University of Melbourne, as a recipient of the prestigious Australia Awards Scholarship given by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australia. During his time in Melbourne, he also had a short stint at KPMG Australia. Subsequent to his return to Sri Lanka, he re-joined the workforce with Standard Chartered, where he will be responsible for leading the Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing team, whilst supporting the execution of the overall country strategic agenda as well as the digital transformation of the Bank. Anuk is a professional marketer and communications specialist. He is a Fellow and a Chartered Marketer of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK and a Certified Professional Marketer (Asia) of the Asia Marketing Federation, Singapore. He also holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Anuk was a recipient of the Corporate Communication Professional of the Year award in 2013 at the CMO Asia Awards for Branding & Marketing held in Singapore. He is a former student of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo. When not at work, Anuk is extremely passionate about theatre. He has over 22 years of experience as a thespian having performed extensively in Sri Lanka as well as India, and has also co-founded the amateur theatre troupe ‘Cold Theatre 7’ in 2013. Standard Chartered Sri Lanka is one of the oldest international banks in Sri Lanka, with more than 150 years of history with a presence in 59 of the world’s most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Standard Chartered Bank is a limited liability company registered under the laws of England and Wales by Royal Charter 1853, having a branch office in Sri Lanka – Reg. No. F3/B. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. We support both individual and corporate needs to build wealth and drive commerce at every step of their journey. We do this by offering an entire range of financial services across Personal, Priority and Business Banking as well as our Commercial and Corporate Banking teams.  

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Accenture has helped Brandix, a leading apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka, implement SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions to consolidate all of its human resources (HR) processes into a single technology platform. The platform, internally branded as ‘Brandix iConnect,’ is part of Brandix’s journey to future-ready its operations. As a central hub for the company’s HR services, Brandix iConnect brings together real-time data and consolidates processes to provide employees with a modern digital experience that is user and mobile-friendly. Accenture helped implement the Brandix iConnect solution in just four months and continues to support Brandix in its digital endeavors through the transformation of its manufacturing, supply chain, finance and HR operations. “As a company that passionately embraces its vision of ‘delivering inspired solutions,’ we always strive for and achieve world-class standards in everything we do,” said Ashroff Omar, Group Chief Executive Officer of Brandix Apparel Limited. “Our successful transition to a state-of-the-art HR platform is a testament to the willingness of our people to embrace change and adapt in ways to future-ready our operations. I look forward to leveraging our best practices in HR to energize our people to deliver inspired solutions to our customers.” In addition to aligning the company’s executive HR processes with global best practices, Brandix iConnect also supports the company’s sustainability goals. It has eliminated paper-based HR processes and enabled the integration of electronic records, the introduction of an online learning management system and the automation of the company’s performance management system. The new platform has also helped enhance Brandix’s talent management, succession, and learning and development processes. “It was truly rewarding to witness the dedicated efforts of all teams in driving this project to its fruition, attesting to Brandix’s commitment to delivering on excellence backed by teamwork,” said Ishan Dantanarayana, Chief People Officer of the Brandix Group. “We believe that the transformative system will inspire and enable the Brandix force of ‘Inspired People’ to perform at their optimal.” Suvasish Mohapatra, who led this project for Accenture Operations, added, “People lie at the heart of any business, and this HR transformation initiative is a key milestone in Brandix’s digital journey. The modernization of its HR processes with SAP SuccessFactors solutions will help boost productivity and improve the employee experience, better positioning Brandix to grow and succeed in a highly disruptive environment.” Aaron Green, who leads SAP SuccessFactors in Asia Pacific and Japan added, “Employee experience has become a strategic priority for HR leaders and delivering engaging experiences is proven to boost productivity and drive better business results. Human experience management solutions—such as Brandix iConnect— are designed around what employees need, how they work and what motivates them – empowering them to do their best work and giving HR leaders the tools to accelerate business growth.”

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SriLankan Airlines wishes to inform our valued customers that the airline continues to fly to selected international destinations including Italy- Milan, United Kingdom-London, Japan – Tokyo, Maldives- Male, Germany- Frankfurt, France- Paris and Australia-Sydney during the current global lockdown period. Passengers who are intending to travel with us to these destinations and beyond could book their tickets from our ticket office in Colombo, Galle, and Kandy or your preferred travel agent. For more information kindly contact our global contact center by dialing 1979 or visit www.srilankan.com.

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Eric Rajapakse Opticians, Sri Lanka’s leading eyecare specialist with over 100 years of expertise, has entered a new era with the unveiling of their new brand identity, together with the launching of world-class Beltone hearing aids from Denmark. Embodying the new Vision of “Quality spectacles from expert hands”, Eric Rajapakse Opticians offers high-quality products at affordable prices through their modern showrooms where professionally qualified staff serve customers of all age groups. The company has also embarked on a journey towards becoming a female-friendly optical brand by offering an extensive range of products for females. It has taken numerous pragmatic steps – from employing more female staff to presenting a wider selection of female eyewear brands – to ensure that they have the perfect environment to look into their eye care needs. Eric Rajapakse Opticians take pride in providing their valued clientele with the highest quality eyewear products from reputed international brands such as Ray Ban, Oakley, Vogue, Emporia Armani, Couch D & G at the most affordable prices. Through the newly-introduced Beltone hearing aids, Eric Rajapakse Opticians is expanding its product offering to serve customers with hearing disabilities for the very first time. Customers will be able to undergo hearing evaluations by specialists using state-of-the-art technology and purchase the latest Beltone hearing aids to suit individual requirements. The company is also offering servicing and repairs of hearing aids. Founded in 1940, Beltone hearing aids are today available in over 40 countries across the globe. The company’s innovative product range includes the first wireless streaming hearing aid – Beltone True – which provides wireless streaming capabilities from hand-held devices as well as Beltone First, the first-of-its-kind hearing aid with streaming capabilities from any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device. Eric Rajapakse Opticians’ long journey began in 1917, with a vision to build Sri Lanka’s best eye care company and serve citizens during a time when there were only a handful of optical companies in Sri Lanka. They have witnessed the evolution of the optical industry in Sri Lanka and played a key role as the industry expanded and new players entered the market.  

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to provide further relief measures to assist tourism sector businesses and individuals who are adversely affected by the prevailing COVID-19 outbreak. Considering the ongoing travel restrictions, disruption to economic activities and representations made by the Ministry of Tourism and related agencies, CBSL has requested licensed commercial banks and licensed specialised banks to provide a debt moratorium to COVID-19 affected businesses and individuals in the tourism sector for a further period of six months commencing from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021. CBSL has observed that the proposed extension may not cause an undue level of stress or threaten the stability of the banking system considering the lower level of exposure to the tourism sector by licensed banks, the capital buffers maintained by Licensed Banks and measures proposed by the Ministry of Tourism to revive the tourism industry. Accordingly, CBSL has issued a circular to give effect to the extension. It also said licensed banks may offer any additional concessions to borrowers in a way that the overall benefits to borrowers are not less than the benefits offered under the Circular. Eligible borrowers include businesses and individuals who are affected by COVID-19 and registered with; i) Ministry of Tourism, ii) Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Agencies under Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Local Government Authorities such as Pradeshiya Sabha, Urban Council or Municipal Council (such businesses shall now register with the relevant institutions referred in i), ii) and iii) above), v) Department of Cultural Affairs; and vi) The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka. Employees of eligible businesses who are affected by COVID-19. In the case of such employees, the registration of the business with the relevant institutions referred in (a) above shall be considered sufficient. Credit facilities to be supported under this Scheme will include all performing credit facilities as at 18 April 2019 or a later date, granted to eligible borrowers and non-performing loans restructured under Circular No. 05 of 2020 issued on 27 March. Eligible borrowers who wish to avail the moratorium have been urged to make a request seeking the moratorium to the relevant licensed bank on or before 25 September. Any eligible borrower who has the capacity to service the loan repayment is expected to service such loan repayments instead of requesting for this extension. Licensed Banks shall accommodate such requests, considering the potential repayment capacity of the borrower. Licensed Banks have been requested to convert the capital and interest falling due during the moratorium period commencing from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021 into a term loan. Licensed banks may amalgamate the capital and interest falling due during 1 April to 30 September with the capital and interest falling due during 1 October to 31 March 2021, except for EMI loans for which the interest rate for the moratorium period is capped at 7% cent per annum. Such converted loan shall be recovered not earlier than 1 July 2021 onwards. Licenced banks may charge an interest rate for the converted loan, not exceeding the latest auction rate for 364-days Treasury Bills, available by 1 April 2021, plus 1% per annum. The repayment period of such converted loan shall be minimum of two years. However, if the borrower wishes to repay the loan in less than two years or if the licensed bank wishes to offer a longer period, licensed banks may facilitate such requests. Licensed Bank and the borrower shall agree on the interest rate, if the repayment period varies from the stipulated two-year period. Licensed banks have been requested to waive off the accrued and unpaid penal interest as at 1 October 2020, if any, on performing and non-performing loans considered under this Circular. Penal interest shall not be accrued and charged during the moratorium period. Licensed banks have been requested to report the details of moratorium availed by borrowers to the Director of Bank Supervision as at 30th of each month, within 15 working days commencing from 1 November 2020. A reporting format will be issued in due course.  

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The SIGNATURE Group, Malaysia’s leading kitchen manufacturer has announced a new joint venture in Sri Lanka, as the company continues to boost its overseas business by focusing on building strategic partnerships with leading brands and business corporations. On 18th August 2020, Signature signed a Joint Venture (JV) agreement with Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Signature Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, leveraging the synergies, complementary strengths and brand reputations from each business force to penetrate into the kitchen cabinets market in Sri Lanka. The virtual JV signing ceremony was graced by Mahesh Wijewardene, Group CEO of Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC and Tan Kee Choong, Group Managing Director of Signature International Berhad, in the presence of top management officials. “We are proud to join forces with SINGER in Sri Lanka, a market where we see significant growth opportunities for the Signature Kitchen brand,” commented Tan Kee Choong. “In SINGER we have a partner which has extensive home furnishing product portfolio and a large and robust retail network with experience in distributing multi-brands through its 430 showrooms across the Sri Lanka market; an unmatched presence in Sri Lanka which will enable us to speed up our market penetration as we continue to advance our development of overseas markets.” Under Signature Kitchen Lanka Pvt Ltd, its wholly-owned new company set up in Sri Lanka to run the local production operations, SIGNATURE will bring into the venture its kitchen expertise, technical knowledge and ‘know-how’ in relation to the distribution as well as management expertise in the retail operations and project business of its products under its core brand ‘Signature Kitchen’. “By leveraging SINGER’s established household brand and large retail network, SIGNATURE will be well-positioned to produce important cost synergies to capture the market as we navigate the challenging markets and uncertain environment in times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tan added. Source: The Edge 

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Owing to the superior quality of Misumi and Champion soaps, their manufacturer, Nature’s Beauty Creations Ltd, has successfully secured export orders within 3 years since the launch of their soaps. This week, a large shipment of Misumi & Champion soaps set sail to Vietnam, a strongly competitive market of over 95 million people. The company is strongly determined to increase its soap exports to enter and capture the large USD 24 billion global toilet soap market. For over 20 years, Sri Lankans were sold bathing barsinstead of real soap. A bathing bar requires only a minimum TFM of 40%, whereas to qualify as a real toilet soap, a minimum TFM of 76.5% is required; the higher the TFM, the greater the quality of soap with safer cleansing properties and higher skin mildness. In 2017, award-winning cosmetics manufacturer Nature’s Beauty Creations Ltd launched the country’s first real toilet soap in over two decades. The beauty soap launched under the ‘Misumi’ brand had a TFM of 78%, the highest TFM in the toilet soap market, providing consumers a premium quality that was not available till then. Spurred by the high demand and acceptance of its Misumi beauty soap, the company decided to launch ‘Champion’ in 2019, filling a market gap for a superior quality, germ-fighting real soap with 76.5% TFM. “Our company strongly believes in providing consumers with products of the highest quality without resorting to cheap, harsh ingredients. Unwavering commitment to quality has seen our Nature’s Secrets and Panda Baby products exported to many countries worldwide, bringing in valuable foreign exchange to the country. The addition of our soaps to our export portfolio will further help contribute to this,” remarked Mr. Samantha Kumarasinghe, Chairman of Nature’s Beauty Creations Ltd. “Initiatives taken under the new economic policies of His Excellency the President have ensured the removal of unfair advantages enjoyed by multinational 2 companies for decades, finally allowing local soap manufacturers to compete with multinationals on an equal playing field. This strength has enabled our company to successfully enter export markets, and it will also encourage and enable other Sri Lankan soap manufacturers to do the same,” Mr. Kumarasinghe further commented. “The measures initiated by His Excellency the President to support the local industrialists amidst the severe economic crisis created due to Covid-19 have also been greatly encouraging,” he further stated. Nature’s Beauty Creations Ltd is one of the country’s most certified and awarded cosmetics manufacturers, and the only cosmetics manufacturer to be awarded Sri Lanka’s highest environmental award, the National Green Award-Gold, and the Sri Lanka Corporate Health & Productivity Award – Gold, the highest award for employee health & wellbeing. The company’s vision is to be the “Most environment-friendly cosmetics manufacturer in the World”, and they have implemented many initiatives to work towards this inspiring goal to bring further pride to Sri Lanka.

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• First and only high-rise standing at 160m in Colombo 07
• 332 ultra-luxury, private residences spread across 37 storeys

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Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Prabhash Subhasinghe recently met Yang Zuoyuan, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of China Embassy in Colombo to discuss the opportunities available to enhance trade between the two countries. The discussions were mainly focused on the importance of further strengthening of trade between the two countries in view of fully utilizing the trade potential that lies vastly untapped. The discussion highlighted the early recoveries achieved by both the countries after the COVID 19 pandemic. According to the IMF, China’s economic growth after the pandemic was predicted, to be 8.2% which will give vast opportunities for its trading partners. Benefits that could be accrued through preferential market access was discussed during the meeting where such tools could be used to narrow down the current trade gap between the two countries. In this regard, the activation of negotiation process of proposed China Sri Lanka FTA was highlighted as this will act as a catalyst to increase the trade between Sri Lanka and China by exploiting the opportunities available in the market. Discussions were also had on China International Import Expo (CIIE) where the EDB organized Sri Lanka’s participation from its inception in 2018. Arrangements are being made by the EDB to organize Sri Lanka’s participation at CIIE 2020 as well. This event was an important move of China to open its market and promote trade, and was a platform for international cooperation for all countries to showcase their development achievements and discuss global economic and trade issues Importance of Chinese investment into to Sri Lanka was also discussed taking advantage of regulatory framework of both countries. This will also lead to increasing regional exports utilizing the existing FTA concessions and accelerate the commercial ties. China is a very important trading partner for Sri Lanka. Total merchandize trade between the two countries stood at USD 4,261 Mn in 2019. Being the top import destination of Sri Lanka, total imports from China to Sri Lanka recorded as USD 4,032 Mn. in 2019 with the share of 21% of total imports. China was the 11^th export destination with the export value of US$ 229 Mn in 2019 for Sri Lanka with main export products of tea, activated carbon, electronic & electrical products, coir fibre, apparel, mineral sands, petroleum products, Pneumatic & Retreated Rubber Tyres & Tubes. Sri Lankan exporters and producers mainly from sectors of apparel, spices, fresh fruits, and other food & Agriculture products expecting to explore this lucrative market where nearly 400Mn people in China are considered as the middle-class income earners where it is expected to grow 70% by year 2030.

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Top officials of leading economic development institutes in both Qatar and Sri Lanka highlighted the tremendous potential to boost synergistic commercial ties between the two countries during a webinar on “Bilateral and Synergistic Opportunities between Qatar and Sri Lanka”,  organized by Doha Bank, on 26^th August, 2020. The panelists at the webinar discussed the prospects to enhance the bilateral partnership between the two nations in terms of trade and investments. Doha Bank is one of the leading Commercial Bank in Qatar and commenced operations of its Representative Office in Sri Lanka, since 2018. The Doha Bank had organized this webinar to drive and explore the exports and investment opportunities between two countries and beyond. Speaking at the event, Chitranjali Dissanayake, EDB Director General, stated that Sri Lanka could look towards Qatar in order to diversify the island’s export market destinations. “Qatar can play a vital role in Sri Lanka’s strategic expansion to the Middle East region. Sri Lanka exports agriculture products to Qatar and imports plastic and petroleum products. Export opportunities from Sri Lanka to Qatar include agriculture and fisheries-related products and apparel”, she stressed. Meanwhile, emphasizing Sri Lanka’s appeal for foreign investments, Board of Investment Sri Lanka, Director General, Sanjaya Mohottala pointed out that Sri Lanka’s corporate tax rate is one of the lowest in the world and added that the island provides connectivity to South Asia, Africa, and East Asia. He also underscored the country’s skilled and cost-effective workforce while mentioning the country is an ideal location for global hotel chains. The participants at the webinar were briefed on the macroeconomic developments of Sri Lanka by the Director of Economic Research, Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara and the Superintendent and Registrar Dr. M.Z.M Aazim from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. “Coordinated action from the government through fiscal and health policies have helped Sri Lanka return to normalcy. Exports have seen a V- shaped recovery, and Imports have witnessed a decline due to the restrictions imposed while the domestic production is improving”, Amarasekara remarked. Commenting on the debt situation of the economy, Dr. Azim told the audience that the Sri Lankan government is focused on sustainable, medium-term debt management. Expressing views from Qatar’s standpoint, Doha Bank Chief Executive Officer, Dr. R. Seetharaman highlighted on key developments in Qatar which includes its airport, investment programme and SME. He gave insight on Sri Lanka economy and Qatar Sri Lanka bilateral relationships. He stated that Sri Lankan economy expected to contract by 0.5% in 2020. Sri Lanka Vision 2025 has given thrust on FDI and exports and to improve per-capita income. Sri Lanka has enjoyed close ties with Qatar, with over 140,000 Sri Lankans. There are more than 200 Sri Lankan companies established in partnership with Qatari side. Doha Bank entered into an agreement with Bank of Ceylon, the largest bank in Sri Lanka, for remittance of funds from Qatar to Sri Lanka. Qatari businessmen should explore the huge investment opportunities in Sri Lanka and establish business partnerships and alliances with their Sri Lankan counterparts. Many Sri Lankan companies are looking to take part in Qatari projects and establish joint ventures in all sectors. Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines announce Significant Codeshare Expansion in Dec 2019. Qatar can play a vital role in Sri Lanka’s strategic expansion. Qatar supplies one-third of the global Liquid Natural Gas requirement, and it is blessed with gas reserves that are expected to have a life span of 130 years. Due to its impressive energy-related industries, Qatar possesses a US$ 190-billion economy, and its 2030 Economic Vision aims to promote non-oil sectors such as health, education, manufacturing, education, etc. The total merchandize trade between Sri Lanka and Qatar in 2019 was US$ 56 million. Doha Bank had promoted this event through their international network and it had reached to large number of institutional clients and investors in 22 countries including Australia, China, Germany, India, Maldives, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States etc., through “Zoom” video communication and Doha Bank’s official social media live streaming. Doha Bank CEO Dr. R. Seetharaman extended his further support to Sri Lanka’s development and encouraged to work closely with Eranda Weerakoon, Doha Bank’s Chief Representative Officer in Sri Lanka. While extending her gratitude, Chitranjali Dissanayake, said that Middle East is an important market to Sri Lanka and planning to work closely with Doha Bank and Sri Lankan embassy, in actively promoting bilateral trade relationships between Qatar and Sri Lanka to reach US$ 50 m in 2025.    

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Today the world’s leading chief financial officers have a more positive outlook for China’s economy than they do for the economy of the United States. The Q3 CNBC Global CFO Council Survey revealed on Friday. That is the first time in the survey’s history that this elite corps of executives were more upbeat on China. In the latest survey, CFOs gave an average outlook of “Stable” for China’s GDP, while seeing the U.S. economy as “Modestly Declining.” Around the world, GDP outlook was generally improved from the second quarter survey, when no region was seen as stable. This quarter, along with China, the council upgraded the rest of Asia and the Eurozone from “Modestly Declining” to “Stable.” Latin America went from “Strongly Declining” to “Modestly Declining”. But the U.S. economy was seen as “modestly declining” for the second straight quarter.

What lies ahead for the U.S. market

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Standard Chartered Sri Lanka today announced donations totalling USD500,000 (approximately LKR 92.5 million) to support the fight against COVID-19 in the local community. The donation, which will flow through the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), is in keeping with its brand promise to be ‘Here for good’ and is part of the Bank’s wider response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The funding is made up of two parts: USD300,000 from Standard Chartered PLC will support emergency relief activities that target the control and containment of coronavirus, precaution against infection, and public awareness to combat misinformation on COVID-19. These funds are part of the Group’s USD5 million donation to Red Cross to support urgent medical and humanitarian support in countries across Africa and Asia from its USD50 million COVID-19 Global Charitable Fund; and USD200,000 from Standard Chartered Sri Lanka for the procurement of approximately 13,000 COVID-19 testing kits to assist in identifying suspected patients of the virus. Commenting on the donation, Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka said: “Standard Chartered Sri Lanka is proud to be able to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 in Sri Lanka and we are glad to partner with Red Cross programmes that reach the most vulnerable people in our communities. By working together, we are able to support the delivery of rapid and effective relief that aims to address some of the current and future challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to supporting our communities at this time of need, we have also gone an extra mile in contributing to the country’s economy in a holistic fashion in the wake of this pandemic.” Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General at the SLRCS said: “Thanks to the generosity extended by Standard Chartered, we will be able to enhance the testing capacity of the country, which is vital to help keep people safe from COVID-19. It will also enable us to increase a plethora of coronavirus prevention activities including supporting safe environments for school children and raising awareness island-wide to combat the epidemic. We will continue supporting people most at risk in Sri Lanka, working alongside authorities in the face of this devastating COVID-19 pandemic.” Standard Chartered Group has put in place a range of measures to support clients and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its USD50 million COVID-19 Global Charitable Fund commits USD25 million for immediate emergency relief. This includes the USD5 million for Red Cross, a USD5 million donation to UNICEF for educational support for vulnerable children across Asia and Africa and USD15 million allocated to the Group’s four regions to support emergency relief delivered by local NGOs. The remaining USD25 million is committed for economic recovery. In addition to the donation pledge, Standard Chartered Group also put in place a comprehensive support programme for clients including USD1 billion in financing for companies that provide goods and services to help the fight against COVID-19, and those planning the switch into making products that are in high demand to fight the global pandemic. The funding also caters to a comprehensive support scheme for clients, including loan repayment holidays, fee waivers or cancellations and loan extension facilities. Leading Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers Brandix and MAS Intimates were recipients of facilities under this programme, enabling them to adapt their production facilities for the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the US market, at a time when the country’s apparel industry had been severely affected by the pandemic. Photo Caption: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa symbolically accepting the donation from Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (3rd left), in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (left), Major General Suresh Sallay, Director of State Intelligence Service (2nd left), Major General Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health (3rd right) and Anuk De Silva, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (right).

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Cementing its presence in the region and responding to increased customer demand, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, ceremonially opened the doors of its Haputale Customer Centre relocated at No. 14, Badulla Road, Haputale. The state-of-the-art customer centre designed to offer customers in and around Haputale a new paradigm in banking services will be open for business every weekday from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. The new premises provide customers with a completely new spectrum of banking services and products. The customer centre was inaugurated by HNB Assistant General Manager- Network Management, Vinodh Fernando who was joined by Guest of Honour, Haputale Mayor, Sampath Lamahewa and senior representatives of the bank including, HNB Regional Business Head- Uva Sabaragamuwa Region, Susith Perera, HNB Regional Credit Head – Uva Sabaragamuwa Region, Prasanna Palihawadana and HNB Regional Operation Head- Uva Sabaragamuwa Region, Iranjan Fernando. Speaking at the opening ceremony, HNB Assistant General Manager-Network Management, Vinodh Fernando commented on the unique relationship the bank had developed with businesses and retail customers in the town: “The new state-of-the- art facility will be ideal for catering to the increasing number of customers, in and around Haputale, we have witnessed across the retail, microfinance and SME business segments. This facility will allow us to offer the best possible services to all those who seek simple, reliable and convenient access to banking and financial services. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with businesses and ensure their development.” HNB also offer stellar digital payment solutions across a range of gateways while providing businesses convenient and digital platforms such as HNB Payfast, HNB MOMO, HNB Solo, HNB AppiGo which has seen remarkable growth in a post-COVID landscape. With 252 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. Over the recent past, the bank has continuously won prestigious accolades including being declared Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka by the Asian Banker Magazine. Locally, HNB leads the Business Today Top 10 rankings and also claimed seven awards at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2019. The first Sri Lankan bank to obtain an international credit rating, HNB is rated on par with the sovereign by Moody’s Investors Service, and the national long term rating of HNB revised upward by two notches to AA+ (lka) recently by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd. Photo Caption: HNB Assistant General Manager- Network Management, Vinodh Fernando at the opening ceremony of the new Customer Centre with Haputale Mayor, Sampath Lamahewa, HNB Regional Business Head- Uva Sabaragamuwa Region, Susith Perera, HNB Regional Credit Head – Uva Sabaragamuwa Region, Prasanna Palihawadana and Haputale HNB Customer Centre Manager, Ashan Wijesundara

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The Fortress, Balumgala – Kadugannawa’s first luxury boutique villa, partners with oDoc to offer guests of the luxury boutique villa access to over 450 medical professionals during their stay. The oDoc app initially launched as a technology platform that allowed businesses to grant their employees unlimited access to high-quality remote healthcare, at the push of a button. The partnership with Rome Hotels & Resorts now aims to offer guests the same access to Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) registered doctors and healthcare professionals for video consultation and audio consultation through their smartphone. Speaking with K. Sumithrarachchi – Director, Rome Hotels & Resorts, with regards to the implementation of the oDoc app throughout the properties, he noted “Given recent unprecedented times, it is of paramount importance that we take care of our guest health & safety. Whilst we are in accordance with international standards for COVID-19 safety, as well as local government regulations, we understand how important it is to provide guests with efficient and easily accessible, medical services, thus the partnership with oDoc. Through the addition of such measures, we continue to build and uplift the trust placed in Sri Lanka’s travel & tourism, whilst hoping that other hotels too will come aboard with such initiatives.” The Management of Rome Hotels & Resorts has been working closely with industry officials in the implementation of strict COVID-19 protocols at their properties, whilst innovating to ensure a safer, yet fulfilling guest experience. Speaking with Heshan Fernando – Chairman & CEO of oDoc, noted “The oDoc application, which is available on both iOS and Android, allows users to have access to high-quality care without the hassle of traffic, waiting rooms and queues. We are pleased to partner with Rome Hotels & Resorts to offer this service at their owned and managed properties, island-wide.” Kadugannawa – the gateway town to the central highlands and Sri Lanka’s sacred city – Kandy, is fast gaining popularity amongst local and international travellers for its proximity to adventure and tourism experiences such as Alagalla (mountain trek), Ihala Kotte Tunnel and the Nelligala temple (South Asia’s highest temple). Photo Caption: The Fortress, Balumgala

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Since its inception, Ocean Lanka has established itself as Sri Lanka’s largest weft knitted fabric manufacturer, overseeing all four phases of fabric production from knitting to dyeing, printing and finishing. As Ocean Lanka, Sri Lanka’s largest weft knitted fabric manufacturer, steps into its 25th glorious year, it is an ideal occasion to look back at its many historic milestones about a company that is proudly part of world’s largest knitted fabric market. Ocean Lanka, a rare breed in the textile industry, has pioneered many firsts in Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel sector and stands among the few companies to remain economically viable amid decades of crushing competition from local textile mills and from manufacturers of neighboring countries. An Eventful History Ocean Lanka was incorporated as a private limited company in 1994 – and was promoted by Mr. Chung Fong Ha along with Sri Lanka’s renowned business leaders Mr. A.K.L.Hirdaramani and Mr. Feroz Omar. With an initial capital of 5 million USD, construction work began in 1995. Production officially commenced in 1996 with the operation of the 88,000 sqft. dyeing and finishing plant. A major part of the machinery was obtained from Japan’s Fukuhara Industrial & Trading Co. Ltd. and Germany based Deutsche Babcock AG. By the new millennium Ocean Lanka’s production capacity surpassed one million lbs. for the first time in its history. As part of the pledge to sustainability and ecological best practices, the company obtained the ISO 14001 certification in 2003. Most notable achievements in the first decade of the millennium include, the introduction of Lycra® stretch fabrics and the double padding technology to Sri Lanka. Following a 2.5 million USD investment in 2004, a two-story building with 82,000 sqft. production area was commissioned for commercial yarn dyeing. With an annual output of 2.5 million lbs. the yarn dyeing operation offers a wide variety of blends and professional service at competitive prices. In the early 2010s, Ocean Lanka became the first manufacturer within the textile and apparel industry of Sri Lanka, to adopt the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Additionally, the company invested 5 million USD to replace the conventional overflow dyeing machines with air flow dyeing machines, which provide greater water and energy savings. Further on, latest developments in the sustainability front saw the company adopting the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) global foundation program and Higg Facility Environmental Module. In 2019, Ocean Lanka became the first-ever manufacturer within the textile and apparel industry of Sri Lanka, to receive the honour of achieving the bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER status. A Pioneer in Textile Industry A fresh revamp of direction in 2009 pushed Ocean Lanka’s focus to fabric printing. This eventually paved way to the commissioning of the first state-of-the-art digital printing machine in 2015. The 466,000 USD investment created a ripple effect in the local textile industry, opening up a plethora of unique designs, exclusive prints, perfected details and unlimited colours. Resurgence in the global textile market added an atmosphere of new excitement in the company, which went on to win the much coveted ‘Highest Export Turnover’ special award and ‘Best Performer in Research & Development’ gold award at the 27th Annual NCE Export Awards 2019. Today Ocean Lanka’s high quality, world class fabrics are supplied to renowned international brands including Victoria’s Secret, PVH (Tommy Hilfiger/Calvin Klein), Next, Nike, Uniqlo, GAP, Amazon, Michael Kors, Marks and Spencer, Lacoste, Puma, Intimissimi and Hanes. Since its inception, Ocean Lanka has established itself as Sri Lanka’s largest weft knitted fabric manufacturer, overseeing all four phases of fabric production from knitting to dyeing, printing and finishing. Ocean Lanka ended financial year 2018/19 with a turnover of Rs. 16.5 billion, where supplies to exporters during the period amounted to Rs. 14.6 billion. During the period, the company recorded a 23% net profit growth, while the net return on capital (ROI) was at an astounding 60%. Additionally, the company contributed over Rs. 4 billion as net foreign exchange earnings and approximately Rs. 300 million in taxes to the state. A Culture of Accountability Dr. Austin Au, Ocean Lanka’s Managing Director states: “25 years ago we started with only 150 employees and our initial production was at 330,000 lbs. of fabric a month. Today we have more than 1900 employees and our production capacity has escalated up to a little over 03 million lbs. of fabric and yarn a month. This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication that our employees have shown. We are immensely proud of everything we have achieved together during these 25 years.” “We have a wealth of experience at Ocean Lanka, where some of our staff members joining the company 25 years ago. Our people love exceeding expectations, which stems from a culture that encourages accountability and ownership no matter what their role”, he added. The secrete sauce of Ocean Lanka’s performance is its people-first culture and the belief for continuous improvement. With its classically intrinsic motivation, sense of purpose and a greater level of personal investment and engagement of the past two decades, Ocean Lanka will characteristically continue its lead in the next 25 years of textile innovations as well. Photo Caption: Ocean Lanka senior management team at 25th year commemorative celebration   

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LAUGFS Gas PLC, one of Sri Lanka’s most trusted pioneers in providing innovative and convenientPG solutions, has recently revealed its latest campaign: ‘Hasaralla Mawana Nil Della’. The campaign was initiated on the 14^th of August and is available via dealers island-wide. Customers will be able to contact the LAUGFS Gas hotline to inquire about retailers participating in the campaign. Throughout the campaign, customers will receive a free refill or Rs. 1,500/- discount for every new purchase of a 12.5kg cylinder and a free refill or Rs. 1,000/- discount on new purchases of a 5kg cylinder. The campaign is also active in rural areas as LAUGFS Gas has deployed special teams to communicate and assist in delivery of this special campaign. Customers are able to place their orders via the LAUGFS Gas hotline or through its online purchasing platform with the opportunity to pay via cash on delivery or through cards. Commenting on the campaign, Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAUGFS Gas PLC, Chaminda Ediriwickrama, said, “Through the Hasaralla Mawana Nil Della campaign, we want to promote the conversion to LPG as the primary cooking fuel in the households of our nation. LPG is one of the cleanest sources of fuel for domestic use, however majority of households still continue to use alternative methods.  Increased adoption of LPG as the primary cooking fuel, results in a cleaner atmosphere and better health for households.” The campaign was initiated as LAUGFS Gas joins in the celebrations of its founding company, LAUGFS Holdings Limited, as the group celebrates its 25^th year anniversary. The objective of the Hasaralla Mawana Nil Dalla campaign is to promote LPG as a safe and convenient domestic cooking fuel and improving the affordability and accessibility of LPG cylinders island-wide. This campaign is the latest in LAUGFS Gas’s ongoing initiatives to increase the usage of LPG as a cleaner source of fuel for households in Sri Lanka. “As we look back on nearly 20 years as a part of LAUGFS Holdings Limited, we at LAUGFS Gas are humbled by the trust our customers place in us. Our customer’s experience remains our primary focus in all of our operations as we provide unmatched service excellence and reliability. We wanted to truly celebrate this special occasion by providing more opportunities for local communities to get in to LPG as a cleaner and safer fuel for domestic uses” said Mr. Ediriwickrama. LAUGFS Gas PLC is a fast growing energy provider in Sri Lanka, operating across domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. LAUGFS Gas works together with over 8,200 dealers island-wide and maintains online and telephone ordering platforms, allowing customers to order from a variety of locations across the nation with ease. Driven by a pioneering vision and an unyielding commitment to quality and service excellence, LAUGFS Gas powers the nation with trusted LPG solutions. LAUGFS Holdings Limited is one of the largest diversified business conglomerates and a trusted and well-loved home grown business in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1995, LAUGFS today has expanded across 20 industries in Sri Lanka and overseas, establishing a strong presence as a leader and pioneer in the power and energy, retail, industrial, services, leisure and logistics sectors. With 3,500 employees and an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 60 billion, LAUGFS continues to expand and empower millions as a trusted Sri Lankan brand. Photo Caption: Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAUGFS Gas PLC, Chaminda Ediriwickrama  

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DIMO Agri Machinery Division has launched its annual Mahindra tractor service campaign in preparation for the upcoming “Maha” season with a special offer of a free rotavator with every new Mahindra Yuvo tractor purchased. It is a well-known fact that any tractor needs to be serviced before the season to gain maximum efficiency and durability throughout the season. Through this service campaign Mahindra tractor owners are able to prepare their tractors for the Maha season with detailed tractor inspection reports, minor repairs and service their tractors free of any labour charges while also enjoying discounts on spare parts. Company has also made arrangements to offer a free rotavator with every new Mahindra Yuvo tractor purchase for famers who are gearing up for Maha season. The Maha season Mahindra service campaign commenced on 11^th August 2020 and will continue till 5^th September 2020 in  Ampara, Monaragala, Badulla, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar Districts, thereby covering all main cultivation areas in the country. DIMO has also organized a free medical check-up for the farmers who participate in these service campaigns where they are able to get their health and fitness levels checked and obtain medical advice from qualified medical professionals while they get their Mahindra tractors serviced. They will also have a chance to experience and purchase other DIMO products such as WD-40 and DIMO LUMIN, and enjoy discount vouchers for DIMO tyres. Interactive games with attractive gifts are also available to entertain the participants during the service campaign. Additionally, DIMO has partnered with various financial institutions including SDB to provide financial assistance at attractive rates with minimum down payments. Viranga Wickramaratne – Chief Operating Officer of Retail Cluster of DIMO said, “DIMO is in the forefront of introducing agriculture mechanization to Sri Lanka while taking the local Agriculture industry to the next level. As a responsible company we believe these types of service campaigns, free offers and partnerships with financial institutes will encourage more people to enter into cultivation in Sri Lanka.” Head of DIMO Agri Machinery Division Amila de Silva, stated “These service campaigns will enable us to share the technical know-how with these farmers and offering agriculture implants such as rotavators free of charge enables them to adapt to modern agricultural methods while increasing their productivity.” “It is not only the tractor that we prepare for the Maha season. The health and physical fitness levels of the famers are very important when they gear up for the season. Therefore, we have organized a free medical check-up for the farmers to undergo during these service campaigns”, de Silva continued. Fuelled by the company’s sustainable business approach and integrity of service, DIMO has successfully reached out and built robust relations with the Sri Lankan farming community with Mahindra tractors and the rest of the farming machinery product portfolio.  Photo Caption: At DIMO’s Mahindra tractor service campaign

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