Millennium City creates history
Chamber appeals to all party leaders to change the political culture of Sri Lanka
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce last week appealed to leaders of all political parties to change the political culture of Sri Lanka, set high standards for candidates and urged a free and a fair poll on December 5.
Chandra Jayaratne, chairman of the country's premier chamber, in a move that would trigger similar sentiments from other chambers, last week sent letters to leaders of 46 political parties including President Chandrika Kumaratunga, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party (UNP). Letters were also sent separately to the IGP and the Elections Commissioner urging these authorities to ensure a free and a fair poll.
In the previous week the Sri Lanka Chamber of Small Industry called for a non-violent poll and appealed to a government, to be installed in January 2002, to solve the ethnic conflict.
The chamber in its letter set out "seven aspirations we, as a prominent sector of the community, have, and twelve points we urge you to include in your election manifesto."
- "Your party, all candidates contesting the forthcoming elections from your party will hold a free, fair, transparent and violent free-general election,
- You and your party will nominate candidates of high competency, integrity and honesty with a proven track record of achievement, to contest the forthcoming elections so that the newly elected parliament, will have members who could take Sri Lanka to its desired long term vision of economic prosperity, endowing on the people of this nation a standard of living enjoyed by people of the developed nations,
- Your party and all candidates contesting the elections will strictly abide by the applicable laws and regulations in the conduct of the elections, including the conduct of the party and individual election campaigns,
- Your party and all candidates contesting the elections will desist from doing anything that adversely affects national productivity and production, national assets and the people of Sri Lanka,
- Your party, party officials and candidates will support the Elections Commissioner, elections officials and law enforcement officers, in ensuring a free, fair, transparent and violence free election and at all times support the maintenance of law, order and security,
- You, your party and candidates facing the elections will endeavour to minimise the costs in the conduct of elections and also endeavour to minimise waste of national resources in the process."
The chamber, referring to the manifesto of each party, said it should include policies and commitments to create an economic, political and social environment that will be essential to make Sri Lanka a prosperous nation.
These, the chamber noted, include a commitment towards "network partnership with all segments of civil society in developing a national economic, social and policy framework that will assure long term prosperity and growth of Sri Lanka and an improved standard of living for the people of Sri Lanka, and a bi-partisan approach to all national issues that impact on the nation's long term future growth and development.
The chamber also urged political leaders to rationalise the Central Government, provincial, district, municipal and village level administration to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance performance effectiveness, eliminate any discrimination of all Sri Lankans and assure equality for all irrespective of race, religion, language, caste, gender or political opinion,
On law and order, the chamber said the independence of the judiciary, public service, elections, police, media and Bribery Commission must be assured via the independently appointed commissions that will ensure non-interference with the operation of these institutes.
Jayaratne said the appeal was being made on behalf of chamber members and affiliated associations who together account for over one half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the formal private sector of Sri Lanka. "We trust that you, your party and all candidates contesting the elections will meet these aspirations," the letter noted.
For the first time in India, the automobile sector has been rated exhaustively on its environmental performance.
The ratings done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) include in-depth scrutiny of a company's corporate policies, its production plant, the vehicle and engine design and emission of its products. CSE said in a statement that the ratings would be announced on Monday, October 29.
This covers the entire Indian automobile sector (passenger cars, multi-utility vehicles, two and three wheelers and commercial vehicles), accounting for 80% of the vehicles currently being manufactured in the country. The ratings have been prepared after carrying out an in-depth study of the sector in India and in consultation with a panel comprising eminent personalities and technical experts.
CSE said the rating in itself is not the culmination of the project. It goes on to analyse the performance of the companies and provides important recommendations to the consumer, industry and the policy maker. It highlights both areas of concern as well as the good work done by the industry.
CSE said the project highlights both limitations and innovations in the companies' operations and management practices.
"The report will not only provide you with credible and comprehensive information on the environmental performance of automobile industries, but will also inform you about the performance of various segments of the auto-industry and the environmental rating of the various passenger cars, multi-utility vehicles, two and three wheelers and commercial vehicles," it said.
By Diana Mathews
What do people do in the dark? Most of the main income earners in a household chat with other family members while housewives and teenagers continue with their usual activities.
At least 70 percent of children below the age of 12 in the low-income segment, however, sleep throughout the power cut hours, a survey conducted by Survey Research Lanka Ltd has revealed.
The survey was undertaken to ascertain what families from lower, middle and upper income households do during the power cut.
It found that more than 50 percent of the main earners in the lower-income group chatted with other family members, 39 percent continued their daily activities while 26 percent slept. A few spent their time either listening to the radio or going out.
About 74 percent of housewives in this income group performed their usual chores even in the dark. Adults (53 percent) and teenagers (60 percent) too seemed to go ahead with life notwithstanding the darkness. Neither the radio nor a trip out was preferred by any member in this category.
In middle income households, 61 percent of main earners preferred to chat, 37 percent continued with their day-to-day activities, 21 percent slept and only a very few listened to the radio or went out.
Here too 70 percent of housewives continued working during power cuts. In this instance too the majority of young children (61 percent) preferred to sleep.
In upper income households, the survey found that 21 percent of the main earners went out while 67 percent had family chats while others continued with their usual daily activities. The survey obtained multiple responses to questions.
It found that 83 percent of housewives even in this category worked at home during the power cut while a very small percentage slept, listened to the radio or went out.
Upper class children did not sleep like those in the less privileged sections of society. Instead, 63 percent continued with their daily activities while a few preferred to chat or take a nap.
With the global economy in turmoil after September 11, these are challenging times for a self-styled host of the debate on globalisation, says the Financial Times (FT).
George Soros, the billionaire Hungarian-born financier who set up the legendary Quantum investment fund, has devoted the past few years to pouring money into his Open Society foundation, development projects and universities.
Soros has become a great supporter of debate and action. Next week in Washington, a group of experts including doctors from the Harvard Medical School will launch a bid for $9 billion of funding to defeat tuberculosis worldwide after prompting - and funding - from his foundation. This week he hosted a conference in Budapest at the Central European University, which he founded and continues to bankroll.
But he is also trying to make himself a central contributor to the globalisation argument and finds this more difficult than giving away his money, according to the FT.
He admits with regret that his views on market movements and the global economy are far more eagerly sought than his views on globalisation, even though unconvincingly professing: "I no longer know much about equities."
More interesting to him is his grand plan - still in draft form - to reform the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, which he has been using the conference to promote. At the centre is an ambitious scheme for the IMF to issue $70 billion a year in Special Drawing Rights and transferring them to poor countries to fund development.
Soros dismisses the suggestion that he could be seen as a dilettante. "I have considerable credentials on foreign aid because I have been in the business myself," he says, a reference to the billions he has given away to support projects in developing countries. "I am a bigger factor than many foreign governments in some countries."
Whatever Wolfensohn thinks of this, Soros' homespun ideas, at least in their entirety, are unlikely to be implemented, the story says. IMF officials are distinctly cool about the idea of using their capability to pump $70 bn a year into the global economy.
Emirates resumes normal services
Emirates will resume its full schedule of weekly services to Colombo from today, reverting to its operational status preceding the July 24 attack on the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). A company release said the new Emirates Winter 2001 schedule now with travel agents shows flights to the Sri Lankan capital back almost to full strength with 14 weekly services and the return of Boeing 777 flights on the Dubai - Colombo - Singapore - Jakarta route.
"This is welcome news for Colombo," Emirates' Area Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Tissa Bibile said. "We were compelled to scale down operations following the high insurance premiums that were imposed after the airport attack. These surcharges were removed recently, enabling Emirates to resume normal operations." He said Emirates' 15th weekly service was expected to resume on November 15, completing the return to normal operations.
New MD at People's Merchant Bank
Naomal Soysa, General Manager of the People's Merchant Bank, was recently appointed as its Managing Director.
He has more than 20 years experience in the industry and financial services sector where he held the post of Chief Finance Officer and Managing Director. He was also a committee member of the Finance House Association from 1997 to 2000.
Eagle Insurance awards
Eagle Insurance along with the Labour Department and the ETF Board will hold its bi-annual National Safety Award for the safest workplace on October 30 at the Trans Asia Hotel with the labour minister in attendance.
Big expo exhibition
"INTRAD EXPO 2002", a premier exhibition in Sri Lanka organised by the National Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the BMICH from May 30 to June 2, 2002, the chamber said in an early announcement of the event.
ComBank's 100th ATM
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon reached a historic milestone recently when the bank commissioned its 100th Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at Liberty Plaza, one of Colombo's busiest shopping malls. The bank currently operates the widest ATM network in the country, offering 24-hour services to most key cities and towns.
Mackwoods appoints director
Mackwoods Ltd has announced the appointment of Harendra de Silva, QC, as a non-executive director of the company. De Silva is based in London and is on the panel of chairmen of the UK Home Office Police Appeals Tribunal.
The Mackwoods board is now made up of Ms. N.S.O. Mendis, (Chairperson), L.L. Samarasinghe (Managing Director), Ms. N.S.M. Samaratunga, Dr. C.N.A Nonis, F.L. Fonseka, A.L. Yatawara, N. Pararajasingham and H. de Silva.
Seminar on Bills of Lading
The Institute of Commercial Studies will present a seminar on Bills of Lading (B/L) on November 24 at Hotel Oberoi. Capt. Kumar, a senior lecturer at Maritime Studies, India, and a Master Mariner will speak on modern B/Ls. Parakrama Dissanayake, an UN/UNCTAD shipping expert will make a presentation on the latest international case laws affecting B/Ls.
HSBC selects Affno
HSBC has selected Sri Lankan e-business integrator Affno as their long-term development company.
HBSC said in a statement that the bank is confident that Affno can help to build innovative Internet solutions tailored in Sri Lanka by intergrating them effectively with the global Internet tools that the HSBC group has invested in.
BA back to NY
British Airways said it would resume cross Atlantic flights when its first flight from Heathrow in London to New York operates on November 7. "We are delighted to be returning Concorde to the skies and back into New York," Rod Eddington, BA's chief executive said in a statement. It did not say why flights were stopped and since when, but the suspension is believed to be as a result of the September 11 bombings in the US.
