July 31, 2017
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1min

Sri Lanka’s number one toilet cleaning brand, Harpic pledged to contribute a percentage from the sale of each Harpic 500ml bottle of its popular toilet cleaner range, reaffirming its commitment to the national campaign to build 300 toilets. Rs.5/- generated from the sale of each Harpic bottle will be dedicated to further its initiatives carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Water Supply and City Planning, to reach improve access to sanitation in Sri Lanka.

In March, Harpic embarked on the national campaign, initially committing to build 100 toilets across the island by end of 2017. The initiative is the result of the Harpic activation team visiting 250,000 households a year over a ten-year period and gathering information regarding the sanitation status of homes across the country. Based on the findings and other data available, it is estimated that up to two million Sri Lankans do not have direct access to proper sanitation facilities at a residential level.

Harpic has continued to be the preferred choice for a clean and germ free toilet by households across Sri Lanka and this initiative will allow brand loyalists to be part of the national effort.


July 31, 2017
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3min

Sri Lanka, having concluded international ‘rice talks’ successfully, began finalising the MoUs on Monday 3 July to proceed with the orders. Altogether the country expects to yield a month’s supply of fresh rice tranche by the initiatives.

“My officials are now working on two MoUs-Thailand and Myanmar. These will be finalised and submitted to these countries as soon as possible. Our government-to-government level rice call a success” said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 31 July at his Ministry.

He was meeting his top officials on 31 July to get updates on rice tranche to be purchased from abroad to end the rice shortfall. The purchases are made on the directions of HE the President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cost of Living Committee of the Government.

Accordingly, an MoU is being drawn by Minister Bathiudeen’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce to import 100,000 MT of par boiled (Nadu) rice and another 25000 MT white raw rice from Thailand. Another MoU is being drawn to import 30000 MT of white raw rice from Myanmar. Both these Memorunda of Understanding are at Government to Government level. Another rice call on Government to Foreign Private Sector, with Indian suppliers is being worked and prices being negotiated for a huge 100,000 MT par boiled (Nadu) rice, and is expected to be clinched at any time.

Meanwhile Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Sipra during his meeting with Minister Bathiudeen on 31 July informed Minister Bathiudeen to wait for Pakistani Govt-to-Govt supplies till September as the current prices in Pakistan are too high for Sri Lankan market-around $480 per MT. By September the prices are expected to fall to $400-410 range so that Sri Lanka can start placing the orders.

On the same day July 31, the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) under Minister Bathiudeen started pulling paddy stocks for milling. On the orders the Cost of Living Committee on 26 July, the CWE started extracting 51000 MT of paddy lying with the Paddy Marketing Board’s warehouses to mill in CWE’s own mills as well as through the private millers. The total rice tranche for expected consumption after milling this paddy stock is 32000 MT. The milled rice will be given to Lanka Sathosa under Minister Bathiudeen to be retail-sold to local consumers at the lowest possible price below the market prices for rice.

As a result of international MoUs and domestic paddy milling, a total of 187,000 MT of rice is now expected to flood the market immediately. With the expected Indian rice stocks of 100,000 MT, the total tranche in pipeline is a huge 287000 MT—an excess of 87000 MT above the country’s rice consumption of 200,000 MT each month.


July 31, 2017
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4min

Seylan Bank’s Head of Marketing and Sales Gamika de Silva (second from left) symbolically hands over the sponsorship cheque to Tyronne Chandrasekara - Chairman / Managing Director - Asia Exhibition & Conventions (Pvt) Ltd. Also in the photograph (L to R) are Seylan Bank’s Deputy General Manager - Consumer Finance Delvin Pereira and Subodha Basnayake - General Manager - Asia Exhibition & Conventions (Pvt) Ltd


July 31, 2017
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3min

Standing from left – Sanjay Hettiarachchi Manager Membership Development of CIM Sri Lanka, Brian Selvanayagam, Chairman CIM Sri Lanka, Fazni Amanulla , General Manager Emerald International (Pvt) Ltd, and Kisani Dahanayake Senior Head Of Marketing & Business Development Emerald International (Pvt) Ltd


July 31, 2017
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3min

Dr. Ramya de Silva, Senior Consultant Paediatrician has been elected to Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in recognition of outstanding contribution to children at their 21stanniversary celebrations held at International Conference Centre, Birmingham, UK recently.

Dr. de Silva has been working as a Consultant Paediatrician for the past 27 years including 16 years at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo. She is the Immediate past President of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP). During her tenure as the President SLCP, she had contributed immensely for the wellbeing of the children in our country.

The most outstanding contribution has been the establishment of the Neonatal Transport Service. Dr. de Silva initiated this as a pilot project in collaboration with John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK in 2012 when she was the President of the Perinatal Society of Sri Lanka. The reason to establish this service is that almost 80% of the deaths under the age of one year occur during the first month of life. Out of these deaths one third die due to prematurity and low birth weight. These babies need special care during transportation to a hospital where facilities are available for neonatal intensive care. Neonatal Transport Service provides the facilities of anneonatal intensive care unit during transportation.

She had worked tirelessly and with utmost dedication to bring the Neonatal Transport Service to the national level.  Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia to establish the Neonatal Transport Service as a national service. The Ministry of Health is doing this as a new development to improve the quality of care provided to the newborn to end preventable neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Dr. Ramya de Silva contributes her knowledge and expertise at national level and holds responsible positions at many Technical Advisory Committees of the Ministry of Health. She is a member of the National Council for Accreditation and also a member of the committee that developed the clinical indicators to monitor healthcare quality and patient safety.

Dr. de Silva is the President, Neonatal Transport Forum of Sri Lanka, President, Neonatal and Paediatric Simulation Council of Sri Lanka and President, Adolescent Healthcare Forum of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians.

Dr. de Silva has contributed greatly to the undergraduate and postgraduate training, being a clinical teacher and an examiner. She has also served as a member of the Board of Study in Paediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine. She pioneered the establishment of Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians – Oxford Fellowship programme for the postgraduate trainees in paediatricsto get trained at the prestigious Oxford University Hospitals.

 


July 31, 2017
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3min

Monday, 31st  July 2017 ,Colombo: In today’s fast-paced world, preparing meals after a hard day’s work can be tiring, costly and a full-on hassle. We all struggle with balancing our many tasks and responsibilities all whilst trying to manage grocery budgets and cost of living. For a modern woman, trusted short-cuts that save time and energy, as well as affordable solutions are always in demand. That’s where Ceylon Biscuits Limited’s Sera Real Coconut Milk offers optimal value for money and versatility. For just Rs. 70, a single pack of Sera can be used to make three different curries that will feed your entire family.

A curry for every occasion: Whether it’s a creamy potato curry, an Indian inspired Tandoori curry or a tasty cumin infused chicken curry, the wholesome flavour and natural goodness of Sera coconut milk will add an authentic and tasty twist to any dish. Sera is also the ideal addition to your daily meal plans and can be used to make tasty spreads for special dinners and get-togethers.

Going the extra mile: Sera coconut milk will also go the extra mile in your kitchen or store room, as each pack is UHT treated and can be kept for over a year – saving you countless trips to a grocery store. You can opt to purchase a six month’s supply of coconut milk if it’s easier for you and save on unwanted shopping trips altogether.

Scratch the scraping: Cracking open a coconut, scraping the kernel and trying to extract coconut milk for a curry is a far too arduous a process, especially for modern women who have minimal time on their hands. With Sera coconut milk, you can plan your family’s entire menu for the week and prepare three easy curries without the unwanted hassle of scraping coconuts.

Shop smart by choosing Sera: Sera coconut milk is 100% natural and its even consistency and texture serve as a refreshing alternative to processed coconut powder formats that are difficult to dilute evenly and harbour an array of artificial additives and preservatives. Sera is also produced using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and adheres to international standards, so for Rs. 70, you can enjoy a world-class product that is tasty, trusted, easy to use and will ensure that your shopping bills don’t sky rocket.

Try cooking with Sera coconut milk today, the product can be purchased at leading local supermarkets for Rs. 70 per 180 ml pack.


July 31, 2017
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4min

BoardPAC, the Sri Lanka developed software solution that enables paperless board and senior management committee meetings has announced the renewal of its 1SO/IEC 27001:2013 information security certification for the third consecutive year since 2014.

The ISO 27001:2013 certification is the international benchmark for Information Security Management. Considered the pinnacle of information security certifications, this certification by Bureau Veritas covers the BoardPAC software products developed and customised for clients in Sri Lanka and 20 other countries.

The renewal of this accreditation can be attributed to BoardPAC’s continuous commitment to providing customers stringent security compliance in managing and securing the confidentiality and integrity of their information. BoardPAC’s information security management system includes policies around access control, incident management, business continuity, physical security, human resources and technical procedures.

Commenting on the renewal of the ISO 27001 Certification, the Chief Operating Officer of BoardPAC, Rajitha Kuruppumulle said: “We are proud of BoardPAC’s compliance with the highest level of security and confidentiality standards. This renewal of the ISO 27001 Information Security Certification represents a process of continual improvement of our business. It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to a strong culture of quality and security for BoardPAC.”

Buddhika Abeygooneratne, the Associate Manager Systems of the Company added: “The renewal of the ISO 27001:2013 certification for three consecutive years demonstrates our on-going focus to be an

industry leader in data security services. By benchmarking our policies and procedures against this independent, internationally recognised Information Security Management System standard, we are continually improving security infrastructure, risk identification and assessment methodology, and timely risk treatment plans.”

BoardPAC, is an effective and highly secure method for Board Directors and Management Committee members to access board and committee papers and supplementary information directly from their iPads, thereby eliminating the need for printing multiple copies of each document and couriering such documents to the Directors. It also provides an easy way for Directors to view all documents related to a board paper in a clear manner.

The product has been deployed by some of the strongest brands across the world such as the Axiata group of companies and Maxis among others. BoardPAC clientele span the largest banks and sector leaders in Asia Pacific such as Prudential, Petronas, Maybank, Hong Leong Group, MSIG, BSN, Bumi Armada, Bursa Malaysia stock exchange of Malaysia. In Sri Lanka over 150 of the top corporate entities including John Keells, BOC, Commercial Bank, Hemas, Carsons, Softlogic, SLT, Sampath Bank, NSB, Nations Trust Bank andMBSL as well as the SEC and CSE use BoardPAC.

BoardPAC already has the largest market share for board meeting automation in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and in the Asia Pacific region, and is emerging as a leader across the globe. Its operations have expanded overseas with offices in the US, Malaysia and Singapore coupled with partner offices in 20 countries.


July 31, 2017
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3min

Colombo, July 31, 2017: Alert cabin crew members aboard SriLankan Airlines’ flight UL 166 managed to avert a major incident that is believed to have been caused by the ignition of a lithium battery pack or mobile phones in a passenger’s hand luggage. The incident reported on July 30, 2017 when the flight was en route to Colombo from Kochi.

Passengers broke out in applause at the decisive manner in which the crew handled the situation, as none of the 202 passengers or any of the crew suffered any injuries and the Airbus A330-200 aircraft landed safely at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at the scheduled time.

Shortly after the meal service on the 70-minute flight was concluded, alert cabin crew members in the aft area of the aircraft noticed smoke appearing from an overhead luggage bin. The cabin manager and the captain were immediately informed. The aft cabin crew members rapidly armed themselves with fire extinguishers and opened the bin. Upon finding a bag emitting smoke, they sprayed it with an extinguisher. The crew then removed the bag from the overhead bin and carried it quickly away from the passengers to the aft galley, at which time it began to emit smoke once again at a faster rate. Suspecting a lithium fire, they adopted the lithium fire extinguishing procedure by immersing the bag in a container of water. The situation was successfully contained and the bag ceased to emit smoke. Upon investigation, the crew found a lithium battery pack and two mobile phones in the bag.

The flight crew immediately informed air traffic controllers at BIA and the aircraft was met on arrival by dangerous goods experts, firefighters and other safety related personnel. Since the situation was under control, passengers did not require emergency evacuation and disembarked in the usual manner.

SriLankan Airlines has launched an investigation into the incident, as have the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka.

With its prime priority being the safety and well-being of its passengers, SriLankan Airlines provides all its cabin crew with rigorous training in the handling of all types of emergency situations, including possible fires on board. Also, the Airline has been actively involved in global safety measures with regard to spontaneous ignition of Lithium batteries. In October 2016, SriLankan imposed a total ban on the carriage and usage of ‘Samsung Note 7’ on board its aircraft.

SriLankan Airlines commends the crew of flight UL 166 for their vigilance, timely action and calmness under pressure in adopting the proper procedures, which avoided a major incident.



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