Latest 'high-end' TV from Philips
The global electronics giant Philips has launched a series of high-end home entertainment products that will define the brand's position as one of the biggest players here.

Philips' local agent Hayleys Consumer Products Ltd, has announced that truly state-of-the-art products such as High Definition Plasma television receivers, 'giant screen' projection TVs, High Definition Flat Screen TVs, Home Cinema systems and sophisticated Digital Video Disc (DVD) players will be available ex-stock for the first time in Sri Lanka from this month.


Janashakthi joins hands with SLT
Janashakthi Insurance, a leading insurance company in the country signed an agreement with Sri Lanka Telecom entrusting the telecom giant with connecting its branch offices all over the country.

The agreement was signed by SLT CEO Shuhei Anan and Janshakthi Insurance Managing Director Chandra Shafter who said "we tied up with the country's premier telecom service provider because we wanted to offer an efficient service to our customers".


SriLankan now on time
SriLankan Airlines has consistently achieved very high levels of punctuality - averaging around 87 percent on time performance - for every month this year, around its route network.

The airline's Manager PIC, Recruitment and Emergency Response Planning Sampath Perera, said after 1999, with a new fleet of Airbus aircraft and a concerted effort by all operational departments and down-line stations, punctuality levels have nearly doubled.

He says apart from the new fleet of Airbus aircraft which has fewer maintenance problems, a determined effort by management, particularly in all operational areas, to perform a daily scrutiny of each delay and probe its root causes has seen a dramatic increase in punctuality levels, according to an airline press release.


Emirates unveils Dubai Shopping Festival packages
The Colombo office of Emirates has begun sales of travel plus accommodation packages for the eighth Dubai Shopping Festival, which takes place from January 15 to February 15, 2003.

A range of attractively priced packages from Emirates Holidays, the leisure management division of the Dubai-based international airline, encourages Sri Lankans to participate in the world's most spectacular shopping extravaganza for as little as Rs. 46,200 upwards per person on a twin-sharing basis.

The packages include return air ticket, three nights star-class accommodation on bed and breakfast basis, meet and assist services on arrival, return airport transfers, room tax and service charges. They also provide an additional baggage allowance of 10 kg on the passenger's return or onward journey, and an Arabian Adventures welcome pack.


Save NDB as development bank
Reports that the National Development Bank (NDB) wants to move away from development-oriented lending into commercial banking and short term lending is shocking as well as disappointing.

The adverse impact of this decision will be felt particularly badly at a time like this. On one hand, consumer and business confidence which has been depressed, is just beginning to pick up creating more investment opportunities. On the other hand the current peace moves would open up vast swathes of once fertile and productive land for agriculture and industry. Sri Lanka would need more development banks, not less. In fact there should be more regional NDBs.

In case the proposed conversion takes place, Sri Lanka would not only lose its only dedicated development bank but also lose all the credit lines from numerous donor agencies, NGO's and foreign development banks. It is surprising that the mandarins at the Central Bank and the eminent members of the Monetary Board don't see the danger of allowing the demise of the only remaining development bank.
Cyril Ekanayake,
Dehiwela.


Shell launches centenary scholarship fund
Four Sri Lankan students have so far benefited from scholarships for post-graduate studies in the UK offered under the Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund. For the latest academic year 2003 - 2004, Ms. P.A.D.H. Sandaseeli was awarded a scholarship to study for her Masters in Geographic Information for Development (MA/MSc) at Durham University in the UK. The course, which began this September, is a 12-month programme.

Last year, Ms. Nisha Berugoda won a scholarship to take advanced studies in international law at the University College London while in 2000 and 1999 it was Prabash de Saram and Janak de Silva, respectively.

The Shell Fund was established in 1997 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Shell Transport and Trading Company. An endowment of 10 million sterling pounds was made to fund 50 or more postgraduate scholarships a year for students from developing countries to study in the UK.


NDC to promote handicrafts
National Design Centre (NDC) hopes to develop a source of foreign exchange by targeting and developing specific products reflecting the handicraft tradition of Sri Lanka using raw material peculiar to the island.

Swarna Obeysekara, Director of NDC, said the production of tourist souvenirs, festive decorations, presentations and packaging designs using light, region-based material is a relatively untapped source of income.

The Design Centre hopes to create the designs, train people in different regions and ensure that the products are marketed in Sri Lanka and abroad.The aim of this project is to create a source of foreign income and' provide a source of income generation for the rural masses. The NDC will conduct a three-day exhibition through which it will identify customer needs and demand for these handicrafts.

The trainees themselves will have to bring in the raw material, which will be peculiar to that particular area, and make the product. The profit generated will belong to the craftsmen. The NDC will merely create the design and train the people in the different districts to produce and market these products.

The NDC will assist the project further by co-ordinating with hotels to sell the products to tourists and introduce advanced technology to the small and medium industry. (RC)


International accreditation for SLSI laboratories
Microbiology and Chemical Laboratories of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) have obtained accredited status for their testing capabilities from the world-renowned accreditation body SWEDAC (Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment).

"This remarkable achievement has been made possible because of the sheer commitment and hard work exercised by staff and management of the SLSI to align all necessary aspects in accordance with the accreditation criteria," an SLSI statement said.

Microbiology Laboratory has been accredited to carry out 27 test parameters which cover 10 test methods and 15 products. The products include beverages, milk powder, ready-to-serve drinks, canned fish, sauce etc. On the other hand the chemical laboratory has been accredited to test a wide range of fertilizers, which include Urea, Rock Phosphate, Ammonium Sulphate, etc.

"With this prominent status these two laboratories have upgraded their testing competencies comparable to other laboratories in the world. In this regard the Microbiology and Chemical Laboratories earned a unique distinction of becoming the first laboratories in Sri Lanka in their respective scopes to be granted accredited status by an internationally recognised body," it said.


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