31 August 2017 12:00 am
The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) is scheduled to conduct the Annual Exports Awards at the Hilton Colombo on 29th September.
This event, which celebrates the 25th silver jubilee anniversary this year, is the most looked forward to business event in Sri Lanka related to exports, and has achieved national significance over the years due to its high standard and professionalism in its endeavour to recognize and reward excellence of Sri Lankan exporters in the international market place.
Evaluation of applicants, and selection of award winners is carried out by a technical panel of professionals in the various fields related to exports in the first stage, and thereafter by an independent professional panel of judges experienced in the various fields related to exports headed by Ganaka Amarasinghe- Charted Accountant, who will make the final selection of Award Winners, adopting stringent criteria.
During the initial stages of the awards scheme, the main criterion for the determination of Award Winners, was export performance in absolute terms related to Volume and Value; and the growth in exports achieved during the preceding three years encompassing various products and services. The other areas that were assessed were related to efforts at product and market development, financial management of the enterprise, quality of products and services, Impact on the environment, Improvements in productivity leading to efficient management of the enterprise, and special certifications including the ISO range of certifications acquired by an enterprise over the years.
However, the evaluation criteria related to the event, have evolved over the years to accommodate contemporary requirements to compete in the International market place, and also to conform with the economic and export policies of the government. In the modern context, these include innovation and differentiation of products, branding, and value-addition to integrate with international value chains to be competitive, and for long term sustainability.
This year the selection process of Award Winners will be facilitated by the well-known Multinational Audit Firm- Earnst & Young, to enhance credibility and transparency.