Corporate
SLI posts remarkable growth in Life Insurance
by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE
Sri Lanka Insurance (SLI) recorded an impressive growth in Life and
General Insurance categories during January compared to the
corresponding period last year, said Managing Director SLI, Dr. Nalaka
Godahewa.
He said, Life Insurance posted a 333 per cent growth last month
compared to the corresponding period in 2009. The company faced many
challenges to achieve this feat.
 |
|
Dr. Nalaka Godahewa exchanges the MoU
with CEO/Chairman DIMO, A.R. Pandithage. - Pic:
Sumanachandra Ariyawansa |
"This growth will be sustained through product launches and
aggressive marketing", he said.
Dr. Godahewa disclosed these facts at a media briefing held at the
Ceylon Continental Hotel on Wednesday to announce SLI's partnership with
premier motor vehicle agents to offer customer convenient solutions to
Motor Insurance policy holders.
SLI the pioneer insurance company in the country made another first
in the insurance sector with the tie-up with globally renowned vehicle
franchise holders to offer a tailor made service to customers. A hassle
free experience at repairs and restoration of damaged vehicles through
the repair centres islandwide is a hallmark in the motor insurance
sector.
The partners are AMW, Toyota, Carmart, DIMO, Hyundai, Prestige, Senok,
Swedish, Carplan and United Motors.
"The SLI has a good blend of private and public sector following the
recent transition to a fully government owned entity, he said.
The protection of the State and the service standards of the private
sector is a unique combination that provides a competitive edge to the
company.
Free replacement of spare parts, after collision services, follow up
services and convenience of payment to garages are some of the other
benefits of the agreement.
Dr. Godahewa said plans are in the offing to introduce more insurance
schemes for the agriculture, healthcare and housing sectors. Promotional
campaigns will be held throughout the country every month.
SLI, a private entity since 2002 under business tycoon Harry
Jayawardena changed hands last year following a Supreme Court judgement
to handover the management back to the Government.
Ever since the transition there has been speculation whether
inefficiency and corruption would creep into the prestigious entity
under the public sector where it had proven otherwise.
Kotmale posts pre-tax profit of Rs 57 million
Strong growth in the liquid milk based product segment has enabled
Kotmale Holdings PLC to post a pre-tax profit of Rs 57 million for the
nine months ending 31st December 2009, despite a slowdown in the
powdered milk business.
Kotmale, maintained pre-tax profit on par with that of the
corresponding period of last year, although the turnover for the period
at Rs 1 billion was marginally lower.
The company reported a profit after tax of Rs 42 million, which
represented a 10 per cent decline due to a deduction of Rs 9.4 million
on account of withholding tax on inter-company dividends.
Commenting on these results, Kotmale Holdings Director and CEO Jude
Fernando said rising world market prices for powdered milk at a time
when domestic retail prices were capped and increased import duties
prevailed, compelled the company to curtail import and sales until
conditions were more favourable.
A volume-driven business, powdered milk previously accounted for
about a third of Kotmale's turnover.
Nation Building Tax, which became an additional charge to the bottom
line this year due to the nature of the business also impacted on the
company's figures, he said.
However, improved efficiencies had enabled Kotmale to reduce cost of
sales by 5 per cent and finance expenses by a hefty 68 per cent during
the reviewed period.
The liquid milk based product segment recorded a strong performance
improving turnover by 23 per cent and posted a remarkable profit growth
of 149 per cent, Fernando disclosed. Administrative expenses reduced by
a marginal 2 per cent.
Net profit after tax, discounting the withholding tax on
inter-company dividends, would have reflected a growth of 9 per cent
over the first nine months of last year, he said.
The Group's operational performance at the end of the third quarter
is encouraging and cause for optimism, he added.
'We have achieved noteworthy volume growth in the local market,
strengthened our skills base and expanded our distribution network.
We also believe our portfolio is now better balanced for good
long-term prospects.'
Kotmale's net assets per share at consolidated level stood at Rs.
16.26 as at 31st December 2009, as against Rs. 12.99 a year earlier.
The Kotmale Group of companies traces its beginnings to 1979 and the
cool climes of Bogahawatte in upper Kotmale, also known as the Kotmale
valley where it began business as a manufacturer of high quality cheese.
Today, the company is the local market leader for liquid milk,
employs 370 people at three manufacturing plants in Bogahawatte,
Mulleriyawa New Town and Kalutara, and purchases more than 10 million
litres of fresh milk per annum, from 7,000 dairy farmers.
Piramal glass poised for growth drive
Piramal Glass Ceylon Plc (PGC), a manufacturer of flaconnage (glass
containers) for food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, Agro ,as well as
cosmetics and perfumery, have reported its continuation of profit trend
this quarter too, after the turnaround it achieved second quarter of
this financial year 2010 said the CEO and Executive Director of PGC,
Sanjay Tiwari.
According to Tiwari, nett sales for the quarter ending 31st December,
2009 grew by 12% to Rs. 910 million. "Our Gross profits grew by 27% to
Rs. 261 million, while the nett profit for the period was Rs. 28.6
million as compared to a loss of Rs. 87 million for the same period last
year".
The total increase in sales during the quarter was only due to the
increase in the export segment.
The company reported an export of Rs. 243 million, which in turn
reflected a growth of 241% during the third quarter of the financial
year 2010.
The company's exports consisted of coloured liquor and wine bottles,
as well as flint liquor and food bottles. During the period under review
the Company also launched some new bottles in the international market.
The company in its cost reduction drive converted more than 50% of
its long term Rupee debt to foreign currency loans.
This was done looking forward to the exponential growth in the
exports.
This conversion was done in November 2009 with the same consortium of
banks. The management is confident that this will result in the company
being able to reduce its interest costs in the future periods.
The Total Revenue for the nine months ending 31st December grew by
19% to Rs. 2,661 million.
The Gross profit [GP] ratio increased to 27% this year as against 19%
in the similar period of the previous year.
The company achieved the GP of Rs. 705 million for the first nine
months of the FY 2010 as against Rs. 431 million in the same period
previous year reflecting a growth of 64%.
Nett loss for the nine months ending results of the year FY 2010 was
lower at Rs. 89 million when compared to the loss of Rs. 207 million in
same period of FY 2009. "Once again PGC has demonstrated its capability
of selling the capacities in the international market by achieving an
encouraging growth of 210% in export sales as against the corresponding
period in the previous year.
The exports during the nine months increased to 34% of total revenue,
as against the figure of 13% in same period in the financial year 2009".
During the period under review, PGC exported a total volume of over
20,000 tonnes, consisting of over 73 million bottles to various
countries.
Tiwari said that the domestic market had continued to show a drop of
9% as against that of the same period of the previous year.
"The Company has yet to realize the benefits in the domestic market
with the opening up of the North and the East subsequent to the
cessation of the war", he said.
With the ongoing improvements and stabilization of the new plant, the
daily production of glass tonnage drawn from the furnace has increased
from 191 tonnes to 217 tonnes, with efficiency too increasing by over
6%.
"This has resulted in almost 8500 tonnes of additional glass being
produced during the first nine months of the year."
On the cost front, the company was hit by the continuous increase in
the LPG prices as PGC is one of the largest industrial consumers of LPG
in the country and other input costs which affected the profitability of
the company in a significant manner.
Rose Cooray joins Board of HNB
 The Board of Hatton National Bank PLC has appointed Ms Rose Cooray as
an Independent Non-Executive Director w.e.f February 15 according to a
Press Release issued by the Bank.
Ms Cooray had a distinguished career of over 35 years with the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance and served as the
Secretary to the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka prior to her retirement in
May 2009.
From 1999 to 2004, she had served as the Director General Fiscal
Policy and Economic Affairs Department of the Ministry of Finance, on
release from the Central Bank.
She has been the Vice Chairperson of the Institute of Bankers of Sri
Lanka from 2005 to 2009.
Bilateral trade seminar
The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) will hold a
bilateral Trade Seminar on Investment and trade opportunities between
India and Sri Lanka on Thursday 25th February 2010 from 2.00 p.m to 5.00
p.m at the Chamber Auditorium, D.R. Wijewardene Mw, Colombo 10.
First Capital PAT tops Rs. 619.5 million
First Capital achieved profit after tax of Rs. 619.5 million for the
nine months ending 31st December 2009, a nine-fold increase over the
corresponding period of last year. Profit attributable to equity holders
of the parent company grew nearly 12 times to Rs. 553.2 million.
Earnings per Share increased to Rs 16.39 for the review period from Rs.
1.39 for the first nine months of 2008-09, while Group Net Assets per
Share stood at Rs. 29.71 as at 31st Dec 2009, up from Rs. 10.91 a year
earlier. |
