December 7, 2021
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4min




 

Chagall , everyone’s hair and grooming destination which opened its doors at Parkland on Park Street Colombo 2 , celebrated their first anniversary. A year filled with glorious achievements despite Covid and all the pitfalls associated with the pandemic.

Master Stylist and Hair Wizard Gerald Solomons, the owner of Chagall attributes their success despite all odds to his personal brand of affability and warmth and his upbeat , never say die attitude which permeates down the line to all his staff.

Gerald who established Chagall as Sri Lanka’s most elite and fashionable salon, despite the prevailing situation with the pandemic and the existing restrictions, displays his usual flair and panache,  and ensuring that each and every client is pampered and made to feel oh so special – in the manner that only Chagall can.

Gerald’s signature  colour scheme of red, black and white, after his muse Marc Chagall, revitalizes all those who walk in and his  wide range of styles  cater to an eclectic clientele.

The artist Chagall saw his work as “not the dream of one people but of all humanity”; similarly Hair Wizard Gerald through his salon Chagall would like to transform each and every person who walks in through his door, so that they leave transformed, with a new confidence in themselves and their appearance.

Having established himself and Chagall as the hairdresser / stylist and salon of the elite, Gerald’s doors are open to anyone who wants to look good and different to those around them. “ Our doors are open to everyone who wants to look good, who wants to make a statement and who dares to be different” said Gerald .

Manicures, pedicures, long and short hair cuts and styles, make up, facials, bridal dressing, sari drapes and the whole gamut of services will be available, all in brand new surroundings.

All staff have undergone intensive refresher courses with Gerald being involved in their training himself.

Gerald has magic in his fingers and can transform a person in literally minutes. A maestro at his art and a charming and sincere human being, Gerald is one of those rare people who can literally perform wonders .

Known for his cool demeanor and eclectic style, Gerald started hairdressing at the age of 15 having left school, determined to make an impression in the world of hair, beauty and style! He joined  Moira Muthukrishna where his career in hairdressing began and today he is a living legend.

Chagall was set up in New Zealand where Gerald lived for over 20 years and then moved back to Sydney where Chagall continued. Gerald has also worked in Hawaii, Australia and London.

Gerald was also a recipient of the World Beauty  Awards USA, held recently.

Chagall for a continuation of unforgettable hair wizadry , especially during this seasonal time!

Call 0777353177 , 0112335555




 


December 7, 2021
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3min




 

Sri Lanka’s pioneering entertainment brand concentrating on delivering Value Added services to Telecommunications Service Providers, Evoke International Limited has partnered with SLT-MOBITEL to launch ‘Caller Tunes’. The service allows SLT-Mobitel fixed line home voice customers  to pick songs or instrumental music to be set as their caller tune out of an impressive portfolio of a vast catalogue of copyrighted music content pieces for a charge of Rs.30 + taxes per month. The service can be activated with a one-time registration fee of Rs.40 + taxes.

The service is extended to all residential connections and can be easily activated by dialing 1259 hotline (automated IVR service, available in Sinhala, Tamil & English). Customers also have the option to pick the ‘Jukebox’ (aka playlist) option, for only Rs.90 + taxes per month & the songs on the selected playlist will be played in shuffle mode for incoming calls.

Commenting on the collaboration, Founding CEO/Director Mr. Lahiru Wickramasinghe, Evoke International said: “We are excited to have partnered with SLT-MOBITEL on this initiative; this partnership is a win-win for all parties concerned because it serves to take our copyrighted music to a wider audience while allowing SLT-MOBITEL home customers to customize their caller tune to make an impression.  We hope our collective potentials SLT-MOBITEL as the country’s number 1 connectivity provider & Evoke, the foremost brand in entertainment – will serve to benefit & entertain millions of Sri Lankans.”

Mr. Prabhath Dahanayake, Chief Marketing Officer, SLT stated, “Launching the Caller Tune service for our SLT-MOBITEL home customers is a landmark first in the home voice service. This service offers a unique experience and innovative offering that adds entertainment value and is refreshingly different.”

For further information on SLT-Mobitel Caller Tune Service, Dial 1259 or visit https://slt.lk/en/telephone/vas/callertune




 


January 5, 2021
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2min

Management from The Wild – 101 Lessons Learnt’ authored by Wilfred Sarath Eranga Perera will be launched on 9th January 2021 amidst an open gathering at the One Galle Face, Lobby.

The event will be held the One Galle Face Mall and is anticipating a large number of guests to join the launch from all sectors, media and well-wishers. The launch partners for the Management from The Wild: 101 Lessons Learnt book are One Galle Face, Red Bull & Yes FM Sri Lanka.

On the 9th January, throughout the day at the One Galle Face, Lobby there are numerous events and talks scheduled. Politician and Author Milinda Rajapaksha, Media Journalist and Musician Hirushi Jayasena, CEO/Managing Director at MAS Kreeda and wildlife enthusiast Sarinda Unamboowe, Former Disney actor Melody Perera, President of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle Madura de Silva and Assistant Manager and Environmentalist at Jetwing Vil Uyana Chaminda Jayasekara are scheduled to conduct unique talks and sessions for the audience.

E-mail wilfredsep@gmail.com for more details or to reserve a book.

 

 

 



 

 

 


January 4, 2021
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11min

By Dr. Anush Amarasinghe

“Reduce, reuse, and recycle”- a household phrase you’ve probably heard over and over again either through school, from awareness campaigns or even on TV. This commonly used phrase is one expected to enthusiastically and optimistically drive the mind-sets of those listening, to essentially do the right thing and help efforts to save the environment.

In Sri Lanka, waste segregation and management is a topic that has been gradually building up notoriety due to inefficiencies and lack of proper implementation. The Western Province alone generates around 7,500 metric tons of solid waste every day of which only 3,500 metric tons are collected (Central Environmental Authority, 2018).

Over the past few years, we’ve seen these poor practices result in overcrowded landfills, environmental deterioration and even economic drawbacks. Perfectly recyclable materials go to waste due to poor disposal, segregation and management practices across all stakeholders, from homes to municipalities and local authorities.

Poor disposal practices often raise alarms when waste such as plastic bottles end up clogging waterways and overcrowding landfills. This deters the image of a material that if properly disposed of and segregated, can be recycled and potentially benefit the economy.

As we now know, the government will be implementing a ban on single-use plastics this year. While this is a sustainable step forward, an innovative solution needs to be enforced to make sure that plastics such as PET don’t meet the same fate, as they make an invaluable contribution to communities and the overall economy.

The ability to use plastic in packaging has opened doors to making products more accessible and affordable to communities around the country. Such packages are generally cheaper to produce, easy to transport due to minimal breakages and store. They also generate a lower carbon footprint in production than most other materials. This cheaper alternative has enabled beverages to be made available to most rural communities, for them to enjoy such products otherwise limited to the more affluent areas of the country. A classic example is a milk sachet or a smaller-sized milk product. Data from the Income and Expenditure Survey (2016) reports that the rural sector in Sri Lanka spends an average of 7.8% on milk and milk food expenditure. The ability to provide the same product at economical prices will mean that products are no longer out of financial reach for certain socio-economic groups. Their demands and need for these products will continue. This is why it becomes all the more important to strategically address the issue of waste reduction and recycling in the long term.

The problem with our current waste management system

Although governments and local authorities have made claims that waste segregation and management procedures have been implemented, it is clear that there are still inefficiencies at almost all levels. For example, in 2008, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) of Sri Lanka initiated the “Pilisaru Programme”, a 10-year waste management programme with the goal of achieving a “Waste Free Sri Lanka by 2018”. The lack of a proper strategy for this programme made it very ineffective, and the failure to address this mounting issue led to unsanitary and overpopulated landfills in Karadiyana, Bloemendhal and Meethotamulla.

Waste management requires reform from the roots, starting from household waste management. Awareness should be raised on the fact that waste collected in homes should be properly disposed of separately, so that collectors are able to collect food waste, paper and plastics individually.

Improper methods of waste collection and segregation should also be reformed, as even though households would separate their waste for collection, recyclable waste is either collected with other waste and contaminated or made unrecyclable, and separately collected waste would end up in the same landfill, making the whole process of waste segregation ineffective.

 




 

 

The lack of policy enforcement and supervision of the recycling sector has prompted private SME plastic waste collectors and segregators to rise. There currently exists a network of over 300 registered and unregistered plastic collectors and recyclers in Sri Lanka (Central Environmental Authority, 2019). This sector needs to be further strengthened, as these small business do not have the infrastructure or support needed to implement efficient waste recycling practices. It is important to keep in mind that SME recyclers and the sector at large could be at the risk of losing their jobs if a potential ban on all PET plastics is enforced by the government.

What needs to be done?

Primarily, the government needs to review and refine waste management processes in the country. They should promote an innovative strategy that ensures that local authorities and municipalities implement a seamless waste management system, with stringent protocols and provisions for the collection and segregation of waste. This would also help strengthen the recycling sector.

For example, Japan maintains a unified waste management protocol that has been successful in controlling segregation, collection, transportation and recycling. The responsibility of the detailed process that Japan follows is strategically dispersed across a plethora of stakeholders including authorities and consumers, prompting them to maintain standards in separating recyclable and non-recyclable waste at homes, collecting, dumping, incinerating or recycling (Management and Recycling Department Policy Planning Division, 2012).

Apart from the Government, producers play a big role in encouraging proper disposal and segregation of plastic waste with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, where producers take responsibility for the treatment and/or disposal of post-consumer products. As a start, manufacturers of PET bottles and large beverage brands can standardize their bottles and bottle caps and make all of their bottles transparent, as this can assist and ease the process of segregation, cleaning and recycling when the bottles come to recyclers, post-consumption.

Consumers should be made aware of the correct recycling practices to follow. To raise awareness and influence proper disposal practices for recyclable waste, greater public engagement can be achieved through beach or tourist hotspot clean-up programmes and similar initiatives. For example, Eco-Spindles has initiated similar programmes over the years such as the Kataragama Waste Management Project in partnership with Coca-Cola Sri Lanka’s Give Back Life” initiative, where we collected 4,227 kgs of PET from within the religious site in 2019. Not only was it a collection drive, we also encouraged pilgrims and visitors to be more conscious of their plastic disposal, thereby making this more than just an initiative – rather, a movement, inspiring more people to contribute by supplying plastic waste from their own homes, workplaces and communities.

PET Plastic is not waste, it is a valuable commodity

Sri Lanka’s recycling sector’s potential is very high, and this has probably gone unnoticed over the past. One of the most economically benefitting and environmentally-friendly strategies is the development of a circular economy, which would through recycling remain a major drive, promising a seamless and rejuvenating industry lifespan, benefitting private SME collectors and segregators. Not only would this empower the local recycling sector, but we would also be environmentally conservative, while recycling and adding value to collected PET bottles for production and exporting.

With the Government’s upcoming ban for single-use plastics and a goal to develop and preserve a sustainable environment, the prevailing issues with Sri Lanka’s waste management should be addressed with a proactive approach, ideally by strengthening waste management and fully realizing the potential of recyclable materials. Just imagine, all we have to do is be cautious and smart with segregating and managing our waste. That would drastically reduce our ecological footprint which would otherwise be enlarged by the use of virgin materials to produce products that recycled plastic could instead, produce. A truly policy-driven economic and environmental win for everyone.

 

 

 



 

 

 


December 14, 2020
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10min

Rohan Wijesinha

On the 8th of December 2020, the National Parks of Sri Lanka were closed to the public as the employees of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) took industrial action to protest the unjust public castigation, by a State Minister, of two of its officers for doing nothing more than try and uphold the principles of conservation, the very core of what they are supposed to do.  Astonishingly, the Minister in question was, no less, than one of those who are given responsibility for conservation, the ‘State Minister of Wildlife Protection, Adoption of Safety Measures including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches and Reforestation and Forest Resource Development’!

During the course of his tirade, the Minister stated that he was there to look after the interests of the people, not of wildlife.  In which case why has he been given this portfolio?

Getting the right people for the right job

One of the basic tenets of Human Resources Management is to hire the right people for the right job.  In the appointment of this Minister, have the Government achieved this objective?  Prior to analyzing this, it is of interest to note that while this Minister is a State Minister, there is also another Minister, a Cabinet Minister, the Minister of Wildlife & Forest Conservation.  It is not just the presence of two Ministers for Wildlife that is cause for confusion but the fact that the DWC has been placed, under gazette, to the State Minister and not the Cabinet Minister.  While overall wildlife conservation policymaking remains with the Cabinet Ministry, the agency mandated with implementing the policies is under the State Ministry.  In the past, the Cabinet, State and Deputy Ministers, were under one Ministry and under one budgetary vote, making for a chain of command and accountability.   But now we have a situation where policy is made by the Cabinet Ministry while the DWC and its budgetary vote is under the State Ministry.  This is an ideal prescription for a dysfunctional wildlife sector.  This can work only, and only, if there is exceptionally close coordination and cooperation between the Cabinet and State Ministries.  It is sad to note, however, that Sri Lanka is a country where good coordination between Ministries and agencies for the betterment of the country is a pipe dream, as individual egos govern the day.  This is quite apparent now in the wildlife sector.  So who is responsible for wildlife, especially as the State Minister has now openly stated that he is for the people and not wildlife?  This is an important question that needs answer as of the 70+ State Departments, the DWC is the only one mandated with the responsibility for wildlife conservation.

So in analyzing these appointments one wonders whether the Government has appointed the right people to post for wildlife conservation, or whether they have placed precisely the right people there to achieve their objectives, that of opening up the protected areas of this country for commercial exploitation.

 




Conservation is primarily about people

Elected on a ticket of providing those with the necessary qualification and science to direct policy, instead, the country has been foisted with the ilk of this State Minister who clearly has no empathy or understanding of the role he has to play assuming, of course, that he is not playing the role he was placed there to do.  Conservation has always been about people.  One of the most important roles of the DWC, one hardly ever mentioned, is that of protecting the water-catchment areas of this island.  Cut forests and destroy the wilderness, and we will soon run out of water.  We then all die!

Even for development to take place, it is heavily dependent on ecosystem services without which it is doomed.  These are services such as water availability, fertile soils, climate control and weather, to name but a few. The aim should be to ensure healthy ecosystem services, and not to aid in their destruction.

Come see our wildlife…before we drive them to extinction

Of considerable irony is the fact that this Government places great hope in tourism earning the country much-needed revenue once this pandemic ends.  Over 50% of all visitors to Sri Lanka visit at least one of the protected areas.  Recent studies have shown, in real terms, the enormous revenue generated by these pristine places for the country and, most importantly, for the local economies that border these areas.  Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that the Ruhunu National Park (Yala) was generating Rs. 7 Billion a year for the local economy (SLAITO Report).  The Uda Walawe, Wilpattu, Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks attract similar large figures.  In fact, if managed properly and emphasis was placed on quality and not quantity, then these figures could be much higher, as Sri Lanka has the potential to be the best wildlife tourism destination outside Africa.  Why should not all the protected areas be protected and managed to be of such benefit to the people who live by them?  This is sustainable, and will be of greater benefit to the majority, rather than just the immediate profit from timber from a cut tree or a tractor load of sand, that will soon be spent and, worse, irretrievable.

If the State Minister is intent on looking after people, he could best achieve it by protecting those areas he has been mandated to do, and manage them efficiently, so that the local populace could share of its bounty as do those who live around Yala, Uda Walawe, Minneriya, et al.  Failing which, he should inform his political masters to abandon long-term expectations from tourism.

An inquiry against whom?

Bearing all this in mind, it is sad that the industrial action taken by the employees of the DWC failed to raise a headline in the popular media.  18 Trade Unions came together for this action and unless we, the conservation community, support them, we will be deprived of more than just a day of visitation to a National Park.  These are the people who are on the frontlines, often risking their lives to protect the wildlife and wilderness that we all love.  At stake is the integrity of the protected areas of this country and of the safety of the wild creatures they host.

The State Minister has called for an inquiry against the two officers concerned and knowing the way things work, and politicians work, they will be punished for undertaking their duties with integrity, and for not succumbing to the bullying of a State Minister who was in the wrong.  Sadly, the punishment will be meted out by the hierarchy of the DWC and will send a message to all other of its employees to look the other way while politicians lay waste to the protected areas.  If this was indeed the Government’s intention in appointing this Minister, then they have succeeded and we, the people, should hold them to account.  If not, then there should be an inquiry, against the Sate Minister, for abrogating the duties which he has been entrusted with.

 

 

 




 


November 9, 2020
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3min

November 4, 2020: In a bid to promote Bible education on a global scale, the team behind JW.ORG recently launched a month-long mega campaign to distribute a special issue of the highly-regarded ‘Watchtower’ magazine’ to local residents, businesses and government officials this November. The informative, illustrated magazine will be offered free of charge in over 300 different languages.

With a cover titled ‘What is God’s Kingdom?’, the Watchtower magazine, portrays the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It provides comfort and support from the Word of God to people all over the world, in an easily digestible manner, helping many to retain hope in their lives especially through this pandemic. This special issue of the Watchtower magazine will address questions that have been plaguing individuals for centuries, and aims to create hope for a better life and a better future as foretold by Jesus Christ.

 

 



 

 

Due to pandemic-induced circumstances, the global campaign will leverage channels that are in accordance with health protocols set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO); thereby distributing the issue through electronic means. An electronic copy of this special issue has already been made available on their official website, www.jw.org.

Currently, there are over 8.6 million volunteers worldwide who actively promote this Bible education in over 240 countries. They are individuals from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including over 7000 in Sri Lanka. Their official website, JW.ORG, has information available in over 1,020 languages and is currently the only website in the world that has been translated into this number of languages. Users worldwide can access resources such as talks, videos, audio recordings, books and magazines. In Sri Lanka alone, the JW.ORG website is accessed in five languages; Sinhala, Tamil, English, Chinese and Sri Lankan Sign Language.

 

 

 



 

 


October 29, 2020
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5min

26 October 2020, Colombo: Raja Edirisuriya assumes duties as the Executive Project Management Director for Colombo Port City Development Project. This appointment was made as per a cabinet decision on a paper submitted by Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Urban Development & Housing. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Edirisuriya was serving as the Chairman of the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA).

A celebrated civil engineer by profession, Mr. Edirisuriya obtained his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, specializing in structural engineering from Rutgers University NJ, USA. He also went on to acquire his Masters in public administration at University of La Verne, California. As a professionally registered civil engineer in California, he has held the prestigious position of Administrator and City Engineer for almost 16 years with the city of Chino, California.

In early 2006, Mr. Edirisuriya was appointed as the chairman of the then ailing construction giant, Sri Lanka State Engineering Corporation (SEC). With his sheer dedication and commitment along with the supporting staff, this organisation was resurrected within a short period of 9 months. Under Mr. Edirisuriya’s chairmanship, the corporation turned a profit of LKR103 Million at the end of the 2006 financial year. This was the first time that SEC turned a profit since 1981.

In December 2009, on a request made by the then President Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Edirisuriya accepted the Chairmanship of Mihin Lanka Airlines in order to resume the company’s operations after it had been grounded for some time.

 

 



 

 

Mr. Edirisuriya has also served as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Surinam, further affirming his stature as a global citizen. During his tenure from 2013 to 2015, he promoted trade and tourism between Latin America and Sri Lanka and also helped facilitate United Nations Humans Rights resolutions among Brazil, Chile, and Argentina to support the Sri Lankan government. Additionally, Mr. Edirisuriya was instrumental in acquiring a property on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government in Brasilia, Brazil to house the Sri Lankan Embassy.

A philanthropist by nature, he gathered support and funds from the Sri Lankan community in Los Angeles to help construct 39 homes for Tsunami victims in Induruwa. When Mr. Edirisuriya was the Vice President of Ranaviru Foundation USA in 2008, he helped raise LKR12 million for disabled Sri Lankan soldiers during the peak of the war. The money was used to build houses for veteran soldiers and their families in Anuradhapura.

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Edirisuriya has always been a devoted public servant for his motherland Sri Lanka. This is especially apparent when analysing his professional roles; they have all resulted in the prosperity of Sri Lanka and its people. In his new role as the Executive Project Management Director for Colombo Port City Development Project, it is expected that Mr. Edirisuriya will deliver results with the benefit of the nation in mind.

The Colombo Port City Development Project is recently being gazetted as a National Prioritized Project directly supervision by the Presidential Secretariat with other relevant Ministries. Having completed the initial development stage of reclamation and breakwater construction, Port City is currently at the infrastructure development stage 1 which covers the internal roads and utility connections construction. The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) act which is the much anticipated regulatory framework for Port City is expected to be enacted by the Parliament before the end of this year.

 

 

 



 

 


October 26, 2020
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5min

With an aim of ensuring economic empowerment for women and youth, and supporting them to transform into successful entrepreneurs, the British Council in Sri Lanka through its Enterprise Programme has engaged in a series of initiatives to provide vital skills and knowledge needed to affect social change in their communities.

The Enterprise programme, funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg (CARE DL) and Chrysalis, provided skills development, mentoring and training, to women and youth in the Uva and Central Province.

The British Council’s role is specifically to develop and create awareness regarding the social enterprise sector with expertise from the UK and to nurture social entrepreneurs in marginalised and impoverished districts of Badulla, Monaragala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya.

Among the initiatives undertaken was the conducting of an Active Citizens Social Enterprise Leadership programme. The programme promoted intercultural dialogue and community-led social development by providing mentoring in social leadership skills. During a period of 12-months, an impressive 24, five-day capacity building workshops were held with 628 participants being trained.

Upon completion of this stage, the British Council selected 188 participants for Phase 1 of its Business and Investment Readiness programme (BiR). The nascent or aspiring social entrepreneurs selected were provided coaching and mentoring opportunities to enhance and scale up the impact of their work and develop leadership strengths to take their organisations forward.

 




 

Expressing her opinion on the benefits of the programme S.M. Premadasa, a participant from Yalkumbura, Bibila said, “Though I have been in the business more than 11 years, I did not have clear understanding of serving society. The training supported me to serve the community and create a community-based mission for my organization.”

During Phase 2 of the BiR programme, 55 potential social entrepreneurs were chosen from the four districts and provided mentoring with the development of a one-year social action plan, to transform into social entrepreneurs with a clear, social vision and mission.

Sanjeevani Munasinghe, Head of Programmes, British Council said, “Both the women and youth in SMEs have a common problem of being marginalized and impoverished. Our work through this programme will support women and youth entrepreneurs from a variety of enterprises to increase their effectiveness and impact in the work environment and create social entrepreneurs who effect tangible change.”

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org

 




 


October 22, 2020
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4min

SRL, one of the more prestigious research and consultancy firms in Sri Lanka, recently celebrated 31 years in the business. A small celebration was organized by the SRL Team, comprising of the Chairman, Neel De Silva and the Chief Executive Officer, Mihirani Dissanayake, to commemorate this milestone.

A few distinguished invitees who had supported SRL from its inception were in attendance – Dilano Uduman (Emeritus Chairman SRL), Rohan Rajaratnam (Founder Words), Freddy Arumugam, Nalin Karunaratne (Chief Executive Officer of Ceylon Biscuits Limited), Keith Wijesuriya (Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom Media Group), Kapila Vithanagamage (Director at Media Factory), Harshana Weragama (Chief Operating Officer of Media Factory) and Samanmalee Rupasinghe (Company Secretary).

This momentous celebration was the perfect opportunity for the launch of SRL’s new platforms: the revamp of the SRL Website with a new and improved data driven site, the relaunch of the SRL SuperTrak which is the first ever Supermarket Tracker to monitor shopper parameters, a new standalone platform for the existing SRL NewsTrak which tracks all TV, Print, Radio and Digital news and the SRL CosNet which helps assess the effective and efficient use of your ATL budgets.




Following addresses made by Mihirani Dissanayake, Neel De Silva and Rohan Rajaratnam, the special invitees were presented with tokens of appreciation for being pillars of strength and support to SRL.

Amidst of many greetings received from many Sri Lankan and international counterparts of Survey Research Lanka marking this great occasion, they also received best wishes and blessings from Emeritus Professor of Demography, University of Colombo, K.A.P. Siddhisena from United States remarking this memorable celebration of SRL. He stated in his message, “as the Consultant and mentor to the SRL team, I am pleased to see SRL’s fast growth and business turnaround made during the past few years and vast contribution made to the social and development studies too in the country. I am happy to be a partner in this growth and I will be continuously involved in research and consultancy work of SRL contributing to the national development endeavors. Furthermore, I am proud to be associated with SRL which is a 100% Sri Lankan owned research company lead by a team who holds pragmatic and innovative thinking which is necessary to upgrade the knowledge industry in our country today. Although I am sending this message from several miles away from our motherland, my blessings are with SRL team always!”

The Chairman of SRL, Neel De Silva was then presented with a memento by the rest of the SRL team. Having co-founded the company in 1989, Mr. De Silva has been the brains behind the innovations of the company. In his address, Mr. De Silva reflected on the incredible journey of SRL, their incredible support system and their hopes for the future.




October 21, 2020
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5min

Wednesday, 21 October 2020, Colombo: In view of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka, Coca-Cola’s donation of 16,800 PCR Test Kits and 17,000 Viral Transport Media (VTM) to support the Government of Sri Lanka in conducting urgently required COVID-19 testing in the country together with implementing partner Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) will prove critically useful and timely. The stock of PCR Test kits and VTM were handed over between late August and September to the government health care institutions including the Medical Research Institute (MRI) – Borella, The Teaching Hospital – Kandy, The Teaching Hospital – Karapitiya and The Teaching Hospital – Ragama, thereby strengthening their capacity to respond to the pandemic. Coca-Cola’s donation of PCR test kits and VTM will support the Ministry of Health in identifying those contracted with COVID-19 and in traceability to ensure that necessary precautions are undertaken and to curb the rapid community spread of the virus.

 



 

Handover to The Teaching Hospital – Karapitiya (L to R): Ms. Iresha Madurangani – Branch Executive Officer, SLRCS Galle Branch; Mr. Pramudith Rupasinghe – Head of Operations, SLRCS NHQ; Mr Upali Sirimanne – Vice President, SLRCS & Chairman, SLRCS Galle Branch; Mr. Lakshan Madurasinghe – Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd.; Dr. Nayomi Danthanarayana – Consultant Virologist and Senior MTL; Dr. Nishani Ubesekara – Deputy Director, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital; Dr Harshani Ubesekara – Deputy Director, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital; Dr Krishantha Perera – Senior Oncosurgeon

Mr. Lakshan Madurasinghe – Director, Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd, said, “Following the very unfortunate emergence of the Minuwangoda cluster of coronavirus cases, we are grateful that our recent donation of 16,800 PCR Test Kits and 17,000 Viral Transport Media (VTM) to government hospitals will prove of great use in testing and tracing these cases to limit the outbreak. We are thankful to our implementing partner, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and The Coca-Cola Foundation for the provision of funds which enabled us to reach out to key government hospitals and the vulnerable sections of society.”

 



 

Adding further, Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society said, “The Sri Lanka Red Cross is pleased to partner Coca-Cola in implementing its donation of 16,800 PCR Test Kits and 17,000 Viral Transport Media (VTM) for use by health professionals in government hospitals at the time of a crisis where the nation is currently experiencing a spike in local cases of the virus.”

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka had pledged a contribution of LKR 130 million to strengthen the national health response to minimize and combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This pledge has supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) to cater to its most immediate needs including COVID-19 testing kits and VTM. The pledge also witnessed distribution of packs containing essential food, sanitary items and first aid to over 6,000 families, donation of beverages and raising awareness on COVID-19 prevention measures and basic first aid amongst marginalized sections of society during the lockdown period.

 



   



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