Miscellaneous

October 20, 2020

Get your daily and weekly readings for free!

A horoscope avid fan or maybe just for fun, Viber’s Horoscope feature automatically gives you daily or weekly forecasts for a more smooth-flowing day ahead.

Colombo, 19^th October 2020: The popular instant messaging platform Viber, launches its first-ever Horoscope Chatbot in Sri Lanka. The bot helps unveil the hidden influences of the stars and planets in your life and matches it with your personality to predict your daily and weekly astrological horoscope to set the tone for the week.

While checking your horoscope can usually cost you some money, the all-new chatbot from Viber allows you to receive predictions for free. As a bonus, the bot allows you to access your horoscope in your language of preference, whether Sinhala, English or Tamil.

Astrology plays an influential role especially in the lives of Sri Lankans who cast horoscopes at birth and consult it through an astrologer during important junctures in life such as marriage, new jobs or even to find out the auspicious time to leave the house in the morning.

The Horoscope bot from Viber offers a simple user experience for those interested in receiving brief daily and weekly readings for each of the 12 signs. It allows you to find out what your day will be made of, what you should expect in your relationships at home, and work so you can move forward throughout your day more intuitively. Automatically subscribe to the horoscope chatbot when you download Viber’s custom sticker pack to add some starry-fun to your conversations.

Commenting on this unique feature, Ofir Eyal, COO of Rakuten Viber, said “Our philosophy is to satisfy the varying needs of our growing users in Sri Lanka by introducing relevant features that interest them. Therefore, we launched Horoscope Chatbot to add fun and entertainment in the life of our discerning users by making available astrology predictions through an intuitive yet simple bot.”

The chatbot is yet another innovative feature from Viber to the Sri Lankan market that provides its users with an enhanced experience and already has 132,000 subscribers. It has been created keeping in mind the particularly enthusiastic following in Sri Lanka who believe in astrology and its influential power in their daily lives.

About Rakuten Viber:

At Rakuten Viber, we connect people. No matter who they are, or where they are from. Our global user base has access to a range of features like one-on-one chats, video calls, group messaging, and updates and discussions with their favorite brands and celebrities. We ensure our users have a secure and free environment to share their emotions.

Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Inc., a world leader in e-commerce and financial services. It is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors.

Join Viber today and enjoy the world’s best communication experience.

For further inquiries, contact us at lana@viber.com.

October 16, 2020

October 10, 2020: Hon. Basil Rajapakse, head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation, recently attended an observation tour of the Watawala Dairy Farm in Lonach Estate, Ginigathena.

The state-of-the-art dairy farm by Watawala Dairy Limited (WDL), a 100% subsidiary of Sri Lanka’s leading diversified agribusiness company Watawala Plantations, today manages a herd of 1, 600 dairy cattle with an ultramodern milking parlour which can produce over 6 million litres of fresh milk annually (17,000 litres of fresh milk per day). Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy, Watawala Plantations Chief Executive Officer Binesh Pananwala and few other officials from WDL accompanied Mr. Rajapakse during his visit.

Mr. Rajapakse commended Watawala Plantations on its successful dairy operations and its contribution to the economy by committing to the government’s effort to promote local milk production and achieve self-sufficiency in milk. He also praised the company’s efforts in allocating small areas of lands to families to cultivate land and supply farm with maize, grass and other input materials, as an additional source of income. The farm, with the help of advanced technology, processes the cattle feed by wholly utilising the corn of maize. Mr. Rajapakse noted that this initiative has helped to increase the income level of farmers who provide maize to the farm. He also suggested evaluating new revenue streams to develop sustainable agribusiness practices, including the production of biogases and carbonic fertiliser using cow dung.

WDL aims to drive sustainable production of fresh milk in Sri Lanka, and the company is conscious that healthy husbandry that covers sound animal health and welfare underpins high yields and quality of milk. The farm provides facilities to a nourishing herd with feed supplements scientifically formulated by a global expert nutritionist with the construction of its feed mill to process the special cattle feed. Stringent hygiene farm management controls have been implemented within the farm, conforming to international standards, including adequate supplies of clean water, slurry operation and effluent management system.

WDL also has a fully computerised, automated, state of the art milking parlour system from a globally renowned supplier which is capable of monitoring the progress of each animal’s yield and quality of milk produced. Sensors are clipped to the ear of each heifer to measure temperature, activity, resting time, rumination time, feeding behaviour, facilitating better care over the welfare of each cow. Furthermore, the company has employed three veterinary surgeons to attend to animal health.

Watawala Dairy Limited is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the environment and social-economic progress of the estate community. Some of the key initiatives include flaring of methane gas trapped from the waste management system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, production of biogas from cattle waste to support energy needs, distribution of milk to schools, upgrading the water distribution schemes for villages around the farm and infrastructure development.

About Watawala Plantations

Watawala Plantations PLC (CSE: WATA) is a diversified agribusiness company in Sri Lanka with a focus on palm oil and dairy operations. The company manages a total land extent of over 3,400 Ha in Palm Oil with a workforce of over 1,500 people, which makes it the largest Palm Oil plantation in Sri Lanka with an annual production of 12,000 MT of palm oil. The company’s dairy farm operation under Watawala Dairy Ltd (WDL), a 100% subsidiary of WATA, manages a herd of 1, 600 dairy cattle with a state-of-the-art milking parlour which can produce over 6 million litres of fresh milk annually. With a market capitalisation of Rs. 3.7 billion, WATA has the highest market capitalisation among all plantation companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange.

October 16, 2020

15^th October 2020 Colombo: Samsung Wasi Mase – October Deals promotion available at all island-wide Samsung authorized dealers is attracting customers to exciting offers on their favourite Samsung smartphones. Customers will get exciting price discounts up to Rs.4, 400 on the Samsung Galaxy A71, A51, A21s, M21, M11, A11, A01 and J2 Core devices along with a free Samsung battery pack worth Rs.4,999 on select devices.

For further information, customers can reach out through the Samsung customer hotline, which now offers working-hours, Monday to Sunday 8.30am to 8.30pm, or post their inquiries on Samsung Members, which offers 24×7 assistance providing real-time solutions through its Live Chat.

October 15, 2020

Acknowledging the commitment of the Ministry of Defense in their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, Hayleys Fabric PLC one of the leading textile manufacturers in Sri Lanka, recently donated 11,500 metres of printed fabric to the Sri Lankan Army.

This donation was made by Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive, Mohan Pandithage together with the Managing Director of Hayleys Fabric PLC, Rohan Goonetilleke to Major General (Retd) G.D.H. Kamal Gunaratne. This initiative was Hayleys Fabric’s way of supporting the forces during this time of national crisis, their efforts becoming paramount in flattening the curve and expediting Sri Lanka’s recovery.

The company printed two types of fabrics which will be used to make both t-shirts and vests for the Army soldiers, to be worn when training in the colder climates and for warmer temperatures as well.

“With COVID-19 resulting in adverse economic and health impacts in Sri Lanka, the efforts taken by the Ministry of Defense to curb the rapid spread of this pandemic is highly commendable. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we continue to appreciate the services of our frontline workers, and this is why we at Hayleys Fabric are equipping the Sri Lankan Army with our own branded range of export quality fabrics,” Hayleys Fabric Managing Director/CEO, Rohan Goonetilleke said.

Hayleys Fabric PLC is the pioneer in textile manufacturing in Sri Lanka, and is capable of providing a portfolio of end-to-end solutions from the design to manufacturing of fabric made from natural and synthetic fibres. With its production capabilities delivering over three million metres of fabric per month, Hayleys Fabric has been recognised as a world-class fabric manufacturer, attracting the world’s leading brands to its portfolio whilst having its own innovative brand, “INNO”.

October 3, 2020

Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCC), an organization committed to ending cruelty to children especially corporal punishment is the sole organization registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and is a key stakeholder of the periodic review team of the United Nations Committee of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The SCC questions whether Sri Lanka can honestly celebrate the World Children’s Day when the government data confirms over 20,000 cases of child abuse stuck in Attorney General’s Department over the past decade, 5292 cases of child sexual harassment cases reported in the first six months of 2020 and a child is sexually molested every two hours.

The SCC believes that the World Children’s Day which falls on October 1^st should be a day of celebration of a happy and safe country where children can grow peacefully, achieve boundlessly and contribute selflessly as Global Citizens.

Sri Lanka signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991 promising to protect its young citizens forthright. Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was implemented in 2015, the government of Sri Lanka has committed to achieving children’s welfare in line with SDG 2030. The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) was established via Act no. 50 of 1998, but Sri Lanka is yet to implement the National Child Protection Policy. Despite the efforts taken by successive Governments, Sri Lanka received a red alert from UNCRC in February 2018 due to lethargy in child protection.

The SCC handed over three petitions signed by thousands of Sri Lankans and a video message from children to His Excellency President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The members of the SCC have made the following personal appeals to HE President to promote child rights and protection:

Patrons of the Trust, Sidath Wettimuny, Chairman of Nobles Group of Companies and Former National Cricketer and Otara Gunewardene, Director, Otara Foundation, say “Make the NCPA an Independent Authority and Implement the National Child Protection Policy urgently and expedite the judiciary process to conclude a case of child abuse within 90 days.”

Dr Tush Wickramanayaka, Chairperson requests that “The Executive must refrain from releasing convicted child abusers/murderers from jail.”

Achala Seneviratne, Legal Executive appeals to “Consider child protection as National security and make necessary amendments to the Penal Code to unequivocally abolish corporal punishment and other forms of abuse’ while Shanthi Wijesinghe, Education Executive suggests to “Make age appropriate sexual education compulsory from preschool age group.”

Tikiri Wipfler, Research Executive and Gayan Gallage, Media Executive appeal to “Regularize all International schools, ensure that Ministry of Education circular banning corporal punishment No. 12/2016 and other circulars are implemented in all schools and Implement laws to protect the privacy and confidentiality of children who are victims and witnesses of crime.”

Aritha Wickremasinghe, Human Rights Activist reiterates that “child victims must not be treated as criminals and child rape is considered a non-bailable offence.”

The SCC vigorously raises awareness of the child protection crisis and hopes to work closely with The President and the government in securing a happier and safer country for the true beneficiaries of the future.

More information on Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCC) can be obtained from www.stopchildcruelty.com and any inquiries can be directed to info@stopchildcruelty.com.

August 26, 2020

Situated at Narhenpita, the 32-storey “Mehewara Piyasa” building complex, which houses the Department of labour, and other institutions under them, currently holds the record for being the tallest building owned by the Government. Being a location where all social protection services are under one roof, the complex has allowed the government to offer more efficient services to the public. To ensure its facilities are operating at optimal capacity for the many visitors that walk through its doors, the Department of Labor has secured the services of Abans FMI (Facilities Management Integrated), which has a strong proven track record of providing unrivalled Facilities Management Services to several conglomerates in Sri Lanka.

Since its inception 5 years ago, Facilities Management Integrated (Pvt) Ltd. has adopted an approach that utilizes sophisticated technologies and a stringent focus on quality in its processes to provide Facility Management Services for its clients. This is reflected by the company’s many certifications, which include the ISO 9001:2015 and the ISO 45001:2018 certifications, Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management, British Institute of Cleaning Science, CIDA and CCI. Recently, FMI also introduced Computer Aided Facilities Management and some other technologies to monitor the status of their facilities in real-time and also address any concerns instantly through the mobile app.

“We are honored to be working with the Department of Labour. Currently, we are the only company in Sri Lanka utilizing Computer Aided Facilities Management software and other modern tools. Our strong focus on quality with the sophisticated use of technology has eliminated many inefficiencies to facilitate prompt preventive maintenance and offer optimal performance,” commented FMI Director Dr. Manish Shrivastava.

Looking towards the future, FMI is confident of Sri Lanka’s economic growth. As the nation develops, the company expects the market for Facilities Management to grow tremendously. By investing in Computer Aided Facilities Management and developing quality-driven processes, FMI continues to be fastest growing and most decorative service provider in Sri Lanka.

Adopting an integrated approach, FMI ensures these different tasks integrate seamlessly into the daily operations of organizations. With several years of experience, the company is a market leader offering its services to several local conglomerates and multinationals.

Soft Services (Housekeeping /cleaning, landscape and gardening, Pest control etc:)
Hard Services (Electro – mechanical operations , HVAC, electricity and water distribution, firefighting systems, generators, UPS, CCTV, BMS etc:)
Corporate Support Services (receptionist, Driver, Store keeper, Skilled/ non skilled manpower supply)
Repair and Maintenance (ground field/ green field projects, breakdown management ect:)
Safety and Security ( Security services and HSE compliances)
Digital Documentations (Asset tagging, digital inventory and e-documentation)

July 27, 2020

In an effort to bolster their growing export channel, Sri Lanka’s preferred poultry producer Crysbro has revamped and strengthened their digital presence. The new website offers a streamlined, modern design, improved functionality, and easy access to essential information to support all stakeholder needs. It serves to exemplify Crysbro’s brand strategy, in embracing and fostering sustainable development in the poultry community in Sri Lanka as well as expanding the country’s lucrative poultry export market.

“We are thrilled to debut our new company website to our valuable customers, suppliers and other stakeholders who are looking to understand the breadth of Crysbro’s products and services. The updates to our new website support our brand mission and strategy and allow us to continue to build our customer relationships in a world that is ever trending digital. It is also intended to help us pursue lucrative, niche export opportunities to ensure that foreign investment keeps flowing into our country, to stimulate economic recovery and long-term growth,” said Crysbro Marketing manager Amores Sellar

This upgrade comes on the heels of Crysbro’s maiden export of a shipment of chicken products to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region – making it the first-ever large-scale food export from Sri Lanka to the region. The company has also completed another shipment of poultry products to the Maldives.

From an economic perspective, Sri Lanka’s poultry sector accounts for roughly half of the livestock industry’s 0.6% contribution to Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product. In recent years, poultry’s contribution to the agriculture sector is accelerating at a dizzying pace, and the potential for poultry production to contribute to Sri Lanka’s export revenue is forecast to be high. Presently, broiler hatching eggs and meat were exported by Crysbro to the Middle East and the Maldives, with plans in place for reach to be extended to the European Union market. Furthermore, the poultry industry is among Sri Lanka’s most structured and disciplined tax contributors.

Established in 1972 with just 100 chicks and a deep desire to be a market leader in quality and innovation, Crysbro has emerged as Sri Lanka’s first and most sophisticated, fully vertically-integrated poultry producer. Its operations span grandparent and parent farms, hatcheries, broiler farms and feed mills. This thriving ‘Farm-to-Fork’ concept has formed the core of its success. In turn, it has yielded unprecedented benefit for numerous stakeholders including direct and indirect employees, outgrowers, domestic maize farmers and ultimately Sri Lankan consumers.

July 9, 2020

Crocodile is excited to announce its latest strategic partnership with Round Table Sri Lanka. The partnership, which was announced at the AGM of Round Table Sri Lanka at The Blue, Hilton will enable Round Table current members and alumni to avail themselves of exclusive offers at Crocodile’s Premiere Outlet at One Galle Face Mall.

‘As Sri Lanka’s leading lifestyle fashion brand, Crocodile is uniquely positioned to meet the sartorial needs of the dynamic professionals and successful businessmen of Round Table,” said Chamal Fonseka, the General Manager of Crocodile. ‘Our partnership is a perfect blend between the world renowned Round Table Organization, which has a rich 93-year history and Crocodile, which has been an iconic brand for over 70 years.’

‘We are very pleased to be partnering with Crocodile,’ said Vivek Sundarallingam, President of Round Table Sri Lanka. ‘Our members are high achieving individuals who will welcome the opportunity to choose from a wide range of clothing and accessories that reflect their commitment to excellence.’

Founded in 1927 in the UK with the aim of promoting fellowship and social service among the leading businessmen and professionals, Round Table is an exclusive club for men between the ages of 18 and 45. These charismatic, accomplished members who are determined to make a difference in their professions and communities are certain to find their demanding requirements satisfied by the unparalleled range of stylish, sophisticated menswear available at the new Crocodile One Galle Face store.

‘From the beach to the boardroom, from the office to a night out in the city, we have ensured that we have the finest clothing and accessories to meet the demands of the most discerning clientele,’ said Chamal Fonseka, the General Manager of Crocodile.

Established in 1947, Crocodile Stores are the perfect destination for the discerning, style-conscious gentleman and the brand is also available in retail outlets such as ODEL, Kandy, Cool Planet, Nolimit, Glitz, Cotton Collection, Beverly Street, Pearl of Asia, Fashion Bug, Diliganz and other leading retail stores island wide.

July 9, 2020

Chief-Incumbent-of-the-Abayaramaya-Temple-Ven.-Muruththetuwe-Ananda-Thero-receives-ata-pirikara-from-Ms.-Vidya-Sivaraja-1st-Sri-Lankan-to-lead-Fonterra-Brands-Lanka.jpg

With the country opening up after successfully controlling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka, makers of Anchor, hosted a multi-religious blessing ceremony at their head office on Monday the 6^th of July.

Whilst the manufacturing and distribution operations were functional during the COVID-19 pandemic, the co-operative’s operations returned to full normalcy on Monday the 6^th of July. Blessings were invoked as a sign of gratitude to Fonterra’s employees, dairy farmers, suppliers, trade agents island-wide, retail partners and extended families who remained committed to serving the nation throughout the COVID-19 crisis, alongside our Tri-Forces, health care workers, and dedicated task forces.

Blessings were also extended towards Sri Lanka in continuing the nation’s successful and exemplary journey in overcoming the pandemic.

The timely ceremony further signifies a new journey for the company with its new Managing Director, Ms. Vidya Sivaraja, officially taking her seat. She is the first Sri Lankan to lead Fonterra’s businesses in Malaysia, Singapore and now in her home country where she has been appointed to lead a cluster of businesses across 9 countries. This appointment finds Vidya eagerly returning to her roots, passionate about making a difference by bringing her expertise back home from her 21 years of experience of working in 18 countries throughout her career.

Addressing the blessing ceremony, Vidya says, “We thank the healthcare workers, the Tri-Forces and the Presidential Task Force for their exemplary contribution in helping our nation overcome this situation. We also thank the authorities and enforcement officials in the communities where we operate, for their continuous guidance and support.”

“I am proud of the commitment and hard work of our team who remained dedicated to serving our nation in any way possible amidst a global pandemic. I am also grateful for their service and compassion in times of need, aiding the country whenever a situation arose.

“Our country is rich in resources, talent and ingenuity. I look forward to championing this potential and working to make lives better, in line with the nation’s priorities.”

June 19, 2020

Sri Lanka’s premier poultry producer Crysbro, recently spearheaded the export of poultry to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The maiden consignment consisted of 30 metric tonnes of chicken products, which was delivered to Al Hamadi Trading & Cont. LLC; one of the largest frozen meat importers in Oman.

Speaking of the achievement, Crysbro Marketing Manager, Amores Sellar said, “The initiative to export to the GCC region and grow our business avenues in the Middle Eastern Market was birthed out of a desire to increase Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings as we work hard to rebuild our economy in the new normal. We are immensely proud of our success in tapping this significant opportunity, as the first, largest commercial shipment to enter the GCC market from Sri Lanka.”

Crysbro’s vision for expansion has already seen them exporting their high quality poultry products to the Maldives. This is in addition to their current efforts to further pursue new opportunities for export to the GCC region– who currently imports almost $2.8 billion of poultry meat annually to satisfy local demand.

As a 100% Sri Lankan company, Crysbro is deeply committed to uplift the country and its people starting with the rural economy and its dependent communities in Sri Lanka. Within the scope of five main pillars, Crysbro’s social contribution focuses on empowering farmers and their families, enhancing their livelihoods and enabling them to maintain a steady income through various employment opportunities in the poultry sector. Dirisaviya, one of Crysbro’s main projects, works to empower maize and poultry farmers from the Central, North Central, Uva and Eastern provinces, and equips these modest businesses with the technical expertise necessary to implement effective business processes and innovative technology.

Also, representing a continuation of Crysbro’s commitment to youth development in rural areas is Crysbro Next Champ, a strong and continued initiative to identify and foster untapped sporting potential across the island, and Sisudiriya, a project to equip university graduates with vital professional skills. These projects are joined by Crysbro’s green initiative, Haritha Sathkara, and community empowerment initiatives with Praja Sathkara and Suwa Shakthi.

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Older Posts

Viber Introduces Sri Lanka’s First Ever Localised Horoscope Bot

Head of Presidential Task Force visits Watawala Dairy Farm

Samsung Wasi Mase – October Deals with fabulous offers on your favourite Samsung smartphone

Hayleys Fabric Donates 11,500 Metres of Fabric to the Sri Lankan Army

Stop Child Cruelty Trust Appeals to HE to End Child Protection Crisis In Pursuit of The True Essence of International Children’s Day

Abans FMI offers innovative Integrated Facility Management to the Department of Labour in Sri Lanka

Crysbro revamps website to enhance digital presence and expand the export channel

Crocodile at One Galle Face Mall partners with Round Table Sri Lanka

Fonterra team gathers in prayer, invokes blessings for everyone’s safety as they work tirelessly to serve

Crysbro successfully spearheads export of poultry to the Gulf