News in Brief

Etihad to increase flights to Australia

Etihad Airways will add three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney to operate a double-daily schedule from February next year.

The morning departure from Abu Dhabi - EY450 - and the afternoon departure from Sydney - EY451 - will increase from four to seven flights per week.

This enhancement to the airline's Sydney schedule comes with the move by strategic partner Virgin Australia to shift its Australia to Abu Dhabi operation from Sydney to Perth from June next year.

Expanding the codeshare agreement, Etihad Airways will add its EY code to Virgin Australia's new three weekly Perth-Abu Dhabi flights.

The combined impact of the additional Sydney capacity and new codeshare with Virgin Australia is an increase in the UAE flag carrier's Australian footprint from a total of 42 to 45 weekly flights.

Etihad Airways' Chief Executive Officer, Peter Baumgartner, said, "Australia is a critical part of our network, and we will continue to add capacity in order to meet the growing two-way demand for business and leisure travel." "The allocation of our newest equipment, the A380 and B787, to all four Australian gateways, and investment of our next-generation product and service offering demonstrate our commitment to this highly competitive market," he said.

Amãna Bank partners Imperial College

Amãna Bank, Sri Lanka's non-interest based licensed commercial bank, has tied up with Imperial College of Business Studies (ICBS) to offer affordable education finance facilities for students undergoing undergraduate and post graduate degree programs offered by the institute.

ICBS in affiliation with the University of West Scotland (UWS) offers BA Honours Degree in International Business and Finance and Master of Business Administration - MBA (International Business).

Together with Amãna Bank, aspiring students and young working people could undertake this internationally recognised degree program in an easy and affordable way.

Amãna Bank's VP, Retail Banking and Marketing, Siddeeque Akbar said, "We are honoured to have partnered with Imperial College of Business Studies, to offer our education finance schemes for the institute's well known degree programs." "We believe that a sound education is the key to a world of endless possibilities and Amãna Bank is ready to help students reach such potential with our Education Finance facility which makes education affordable," he said. Director Operations of ICBS, Shanmugam Sivabaskaran said, "The MoU signed with Amãna Bank, for educational finance facilities for the undergraduate and postgraduate programs offered by ICBS in affiliation with UWS, will definitely help many students.

Funtime for Classic Travel

Classic Travel has partnered with showbiz veteran Imran Saibo of Funtime, to launch Classic Funtime.

The brainchild of Managing Director of Classic Travel, Saif Yusoof, who recognized the opportunity of combining two industries, the company will now offer new experiences in business and leisure travel along with entertainment and conference options in one solution.

Yusoof said that Classic Funtime was a move in the right direction and in line with the group's vision to focus and expand within its sectors.

"The potential of such an alliance is obvious when considering the growing MICE market.

This collaboration of Classic with its strong corporate travel base and Funtime with its creative talents in the field of corporate entertainment means that we are going a step further in offering complete leisure and lifestyle solutions," he said.

Funtime Pvt Ltd, an event production company has been a pioneer in all things related to events and showbiz, and since its inception built up a reputation for its professionalism and creativity, a company spokesman said.

Saibo of Funtime said, "With the amalgamation of Classic and Funtime, we are building a formidable combination of travel, leisure and entertainment solutions. As a team, we will offer a complete one-stop-shop to the MICE market; Destination weddings and the event arena which includes corporate entertainment."

'The Smart Professional' workshop

Two corporate trainers, Sanjeev Jayaratnam and Kumar de Silva have teamed up again to host a one-day motivational, skills development, and corporate etiquette workshop on October 5 at the Galadari Hotel.

"Our inaugural edition in this series in July was a success. The response we've had has been very encouraging. In fact we've been inundated with a large number of requests for a repeat performance and are thus happy to be back with this second edition," Jayaratnam said.

de Silva said, "This specially crafted program would help participants build their professional image, by learning key aspects that contribute to how they look, communicate with others, how they behave in society, and how their personality comes across to others.""An interactive and practical application of dining protocol, forms an interesting segment of the sessions along with the rest of the content, which is totally focused on giving practical steps one can follow to become the Smart Professional one aspires to be," he said.

DFCC - Banking partner

DFCC Bank is the 'Official Banking Partner' for Shape South Asia 2016.

The event on the theme 'Shaping Identities', is hosted by the Global Shapers Colombo Hub, which won the bid to host this event in Sri Lanka. CEO of DFCC Bank, Arjun Fernando said, "The entrepreneurial spirit of this global event mirrors DFCC Bank's mission to drive self-reliance and entrepreneurship in small, medium and large scale businesses, by offering access to finance along with other value added services to enhance competitiveness. As the official banking partner for this globally significant event, DFCC Bank will reach out to the youth segment, offering a wide array of products and services, in particular its latest product - Vardhana Virtual Wallet."

With a 60-year-old legacy, DFCC Bank has played a pioneering role in supporting new entrepreneurs, investment ideas and sectors.

Over the years, the Bank has evolved swiftly to cater to the financial needs of various generations.

Sunshine Holdings taps into MTI's HRM advisory

Sunshine Holdings has again retained the HRM advisory services of MTI Consulting.

With strong market positions in its three core focus areas of agribusiness, healthcare and FMCG, the Group has in recent time been recognized for its best practices in Strategic Human Resource Management.

"We consider the identification and grooming of our talent to be a key success factor that has propelled us into market leadership and market dominating positions," said Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy, the architect of the Group's diversification into key economic sectors.

MTI's CEO Hilmy Cader said, "Within a short time span Sunshine Holdings has not only built strong ventures and brands, but also a strong employee brand that attracts the best talent in the market."

BPO in Sinhala

A book in Sinhala on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Sinhalen BPO, written by Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama, was launched recently.

BPO is an important industry for Sri Lanka; It is an IT-enabled service sector which is adding value to our economy, in terms of foreign revenue. The book published by Vijitha Yapa Publishers, explains the BPO sector in simple language so that schoolchildren, school leavers, young job seekers, parents as well as any other person can read and grasp what this sector is all about.

Uva Expo 2016

A major trade exhibition 'Uva Expo 2016 - Endless Inspiration' will be held in Badulla from December 28 to January 1, 2017. Uva Expo will provide an opportunity to build relationships and enhance trade opportunities.

Chief Minister of the province Chamara Sampath Dasanayaka said that Uva's potential as a business hub is enormous.

"The potential has not been tapped fully yet. Therefore, we want to promote the Uva Province as a vibrant business, tourism and trade hub in the future," he said.

Fifth batch completes training program

The fifth competency-based training program (two-month residential course) at the A.Y.S. Gnanam Construction Training Academy, Dambulla concluded last month. It was held under the patronage of Senior Vice President of National Construction Association of Sri Lanka, Athula Galagoda. The trainees will be called for the National Vocational Qualification Test soon.

HNB launches Hela Saviya

Hatton National Bank has launched another innovative banking solution for the staff of Hela Clothing. Aimed at strengthening the company's staff, the Hela Saviya program offers them banking facilities to realise their aspirations towards a better life.

Traditionally, a garment factory worker would not be considered a credit-worthy customer by a bank. Over the years, HNB has, however, created a tradition of investing in human capital and supporting the vital cogs of Sri Lanka's economy. It is a tradition built on the simple philosophy of taking banking beyond transactions, bank officials said.

Deputy General Manager, Retail and SME Banking at HNB, Thimal Perera said, "The 'Hela Saviya' program brings to all employees of the Hela Group, greater access to the products and services of the Hatton National Bank through its extensive branch and ATM network across the country, as well as a large array of offers from partner merchants. On the identification of being a member of the Hela Family, HNB staff at any of our branches across Sri Lanka will accord to them the special facilities available to the Hela Family members."

HNB Assurance Opens Branch in Wattala

Continuing the planned branch expansion with the aim of achieving service excellence and expanding the, HNB Assurance (HNBA) opened of its 54th branch in Wattala. The branch is on the Colombo-Negombo main road.

The branch provides a full spectrum of Life Insurance solutions and will promote the versatile product range of HNB Assurance. Sharing insights on the newest addition to the branch network, Deepthi Lokuarachchi, Chief Executive Officer of HNBA stated thatHNBA has expanded its branch networkinto highly dense customer territoriesin order to meet the growing customer needs as a business primarily focused on the society and in providing protection. He further stated, 'we are pleased to expand and strengthen our services in Wattala,to cater to the needs of the community based in the area'.

The newly opened branch is located at: No. 218 1/1, Negombo Road, Wattala.

Bogawantalawa opens new retail outlet

Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, producer of some of the world's finest teas, unveiled its new flagship store at the Transit Lounge, Bandaranaike International Airport recently. The new retail shop marks a new chapter in the company's legacy of producing, marketing and exporting the finest teas in the world.

Present at the grand opening was the Chairman of BTE PLC, Mr. Dinesh Ambani, together with Mr.JayampathiMolligoda - Chief Executive Officer, BTE PLC, Mr.VijithaLiyanage - Chief Operating Officer, Bogawantalwa Tea Marketing (Pvt) Ltd.,Ms.ChamariWahalathanthri - Chief Financial Controller, Mr.JayanthaRatwatte - Snr. Vice President - Marketing, Bogawantalawa Tea Marketing (Pvt) Ltd., Mr.AbhishekAmbani - Head of Procurement & Business Development, BTE PLC&BTM (Pvt) Ltd., and Mr. Sunil Rajapakse - Chief Internal Auditor, BTE PLC, along with other officers of the company, including Mr.Chandima Weerasinghe - Head of Local Marketing, Bogawantalawa Tea Marketing (Pvt) Ltd. Also present were officials of the Airport Civil Aviation Authority, and other invitees.

Nippon Paint hosts AYDA

Introduced by Nippon Paint, Japan in 2008 to inspire and motivate innovative designers with the creative potentialthe Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) will be held in Sri Lankafor the first time in October2016 with the initiative of Nippon Paint Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The competition, held under the theme, 'Be Bold, Be Free, Be You', is open to Sri Lankan students of architecture and interior design. It gives them the chance to mesmerize the judges with their ideasand to explore, propel and exceed the boundaries of design while leaving their mark in the industry through original work.

Raja Hewabowala, Managing Director, Nippon Paint Lanka,pointed out that 'Nippon Paint has always made an effort to inspire creative expression in the coatings industry.Students participating in AYDA will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and win coveted awards while also gaining valuable insights into the latest trends in their respective fields through formal training offered by top-notch international experts'.

ODEL opens 'Luv SL' store at Pinnawala

ODEL has opened its eighth 'Luv SL' store in the precincts of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, providing visitors with an eclectic assortment of products from its innovative store chain. Featuring a plethora of Sri Lankan inspired fashion, accessories, and souvenirs intended to instil love for Sri Lanka, LUV SL advocates all things uniquely Sri Lankan while supporting efforts to enhance the destination's tourist attractions.

The 2,400 square foot store located on the pathway to the Elephants' bathing area, has multiple departments such as Ladies, Gents, Backstage, Souvenir, Delight and Blend House, as well as a tenant outlet of Spa Ceylon.

LUV SL is a keen supporter of the abundant wildlife of Sri Lanka and uses animal motifs on most of the brand's products. Opening the newest addition to the Luv SL store chain in Pinnawala creates the perfect synergy between the ideals of LUV SL and the essence of Pinnawala. The elephant orphanage attracts large numbers of tourists and locals, further spreading the word of conservation and rehabilitation of Sri Lanka's native elephant population.