The National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) organized 27th Annual Export Awards will be held on September 20, at Hotel Shangri-La in Colombo and NCE in a bid to recognize and reward the achievements of Sri Lankan Exporters in International Markets hosted a special event.
The event also served to felicitate the sponsoring partners of the event and was attended by the office-bearers and members of the Council of the Chamber, who are sectoral Heads of the various Products and services sectors, Representatives of the sponsoring organizations of the event, Members of the Technical Panel of evaluators and Panel of Judges, representatives of the media and Special Invitees related to the exports sector.
Ramya Weerakoon President of the NCE in her welcome address stated that each year the Chamber conducts this most looked-forward-to event in the business calendar of Sri Lanka, under a Theme related to International Trade; the Theme this year is ‘Strengthening Good Governance for Sustainability’, which involves Ethical Business Practices that impact the environment, society, and the economy.
She stated that in modern business, overseas buyers are increasingly concerned with these important aspects related to business and that consumers do not mind paying an extra dollar for Products and Services sourced from such Enterprises. She added that the criteria for selection of Award Winners this year will lay special emphasis on the conduct of business related to the Theme.
Nilrukshi de Silva, Chairman of the Awards Sub Committee of the Chamber which provides Policy directions and Guidelines for the conduct of the event, in her address stated that the NCE has implemented improvements to the evaluating process of Applicants to achieve high professional standards. She stated that credit will be given to Exporters who have taken an initiative to employ Disabled Persons to make use of their skills.
Samantha Kumarasena Head of the Technical Panel of Evaluators stated that the Technical Panel consists of Senior Technical Persons who represent State Organizations which serve the various specialized fields related to Exports.They evaluate the achievements related to specialized aspects of Exports to determine the allocation of marks.
Dr. Jagath Peiris Chairman of the Panel of Judges who is himself a Past President of the Chamber, as well as a Professional with immense business experience as an Exporter in the Ceramics, and Porcelain Products sector, stated in his address that the Members of the Panel of Judges consists of Professionals of high integrity who are experienced in their respective fields in Exports.
He further stated that the Panel of Judges obtains inputs from the Multinational Audit Firm Ernst & Young, the Strategic Knowledge Partner of the Chamber to ensure the integrity, and transparency of the selection process.
Shiham Marikar Secretary General and CEO of the NCE explained the planning process of an elaborate Event of this nature, to sustain the high Standard and Stature acquired over the years. He stated the number of participants at the event which exceeds 900, and keeps on increasing due to high demand, necessitated shifting of the venue of the event last year to the Iconic Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.
A unique feature of the event was the felicitation of the Sponsoring Partners of the event by the Chamber. They formally presented the Sponsorship packages to the President and Secretary General of the Chamber following their brief addresses.
Sri Lanka Mobitel (Pvt.) Ltd, is the main Sponsor for the event for the 27th year in succession. Sri Lanka Mobitel currently provides a range of Digital Services to the Exporter Community of Sri Lanka, to facilitate their operations related to modern International Trade.
Answering questions by Daily News Business, Secretary General clarified that ‘Start-Ups’ in the IT sector, have the opportunity to be recognized and rewarded under the Small and Medium (SME) category of the IT Sector.
In regard to a query on the relatively high charges for Cargo Services of Sri Lankan Airlines, the Representative of the Airline stated that the Airline does not have sufficient capacity yet to be more competitive. However, the Secretary General of the NCE added that the Chamber was in the process of negotiating with Sri Lankan Airlines, to obtain concessionary rates in respect of cargo of Sri Lankan Exporters
The other Sponsors are.
Premium Sponsors
Bank of Ceylon : Main Banker and Financial Services Provider to Exporters Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd:Container Terminal Services Provider to Exporters Ex-pack Corrugated Cartons Ltd : Leading corrugated packaging Services Provider to Exporters National Development Bank PLC: A leading Banking and Financial Services Provider toExporters SANKEN Overseas Pvt.Ltd: Exporter of construction and related Engineering Services in the Tea sector Sri Lankan Airlines: State Airline and Provider of Cargo Services to Exporters Macksons Paints Lanka Pvt. Ltd: Producer, Trader, and Exporter of paints and related products in the Building Materials sector
Principal Sponsor
Media Services Pvt. Ltd (LMD) – Leading Provider of Business related Publication Services
Print Media Sponsor
Associated News Papers of Ceylon Ltd – State Print Media Services Provider
Strategic Partner
Ernst & Young – Provider of Knowledge Services and Facilitator of the Evaluation process for the selection of Export Award Winners Sri Lankan Airlines and Macksons Paints Lanka Pvt. Ltd have partnered with the Chamber for the first time this year, to sponsor the Awards event.
