Financial Times

CNCI awards get new sponsor
Janashakthi Insurance is joining Ceylon National Chamber of Industries as the senior sponsor for the Achiever Awards 2006 for Industrial Excellence, the organizers said last week at a press briefing on the event.

With this being the first year Janashakthi Insurance is taking part, C. T. A. Schaffter, Managing Director, Janashakthi, said: “It's a privilege for us to be asked by the CNCI to become the main sponsor for the event, and I hope it becomes a long-term partnership.”

But before that, Nimal Perera, Chairman of the Ceylon National Chamber of Commerce (CNCI), was asked about a recent press release by the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) saying it had persuaded the Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, Rohitha Bogollagama, to submit a Cabinet Paper to remove the ban on displaying and selling local products at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

In that release it seemed that the NCE was the sole participant, whereas Mr. Perera said it was his chamber that got the ball rolling about a month ago. He said the CNCI felt that the ban was against local businesses, so the chamber invited its members affected by the ban to a meeting, as well as those from other chambers, in a bid to garner support to overturn the ban. It seems one chamber wants to take all the credit, but credit should be given to where it’s due. Anyway back to the awards ...

In its fifth year, the awards are open to companies to nominate themselves for a shot at the top prizes, where the categories are micro (investment up to Rs 1 million); small (over Rs 1 million up to Rs 20 million); medium (over Rs 20 to Rs 50 million); and large companies (over Rs 50 million). Each category will have gold, silver and bronze awards, plus two merit awards.

To participate, Mr Perera said: “Any sole proprietorship, partnership or limited liability company must have been engaged in manufacturing for at least three consecutive financial years, four for the large category, ending either March 31 or December 31, 2005 for those in other SAARC areas.”

What makes this award unique is that it includes Sri Lankan companies doing business in the SAARC region as well. “There will also be a special award for those companies in each SAARC county that achieve industrial excellence,” Mr. Perera said. Areas to be judged include promoting national growth, quality assurance, research and development growth, employee benefits, labour relations, environmental factors and occupation health and services.
According to Newton Wickramasuriya, CNCI Vice Chairman and Chairman of the organising committee, “The awards are a promotion of local companies that can only help to improve efficiency so that these companies can better compete in the global marketplace.”

As for the judges, they will hold interviews with the micro and small entrants, while visiting those entering the medium and large categories. This year the special district awards will go to Ampara and Puttalam. And another special feature is to recognise local industrialists who have set up manufacturing units in the SAARC region on their own or as joint-ventures where the local investment is over 50 percent.

The awards were launched five years ago to promote industrial growth in the country, and from an initial 30 entrants, the figure reached 100 last year.
The ceremony itself will be held on August 8.

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