NCE launches 25th anniversary annual export awards application

The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) which is the only private sector Chamber exclusively serving Sri Lankan exporters launched the revised application of the 25th anniversary annual export awards ceremony, which will be held on the 29th of September at Hilton Colombo. 
The President of the NCE Ramal Jasinghe in his address at the AGM stated that he will provide leadership to the Annual Export Awards, particularly as the forth coming event marks 25 years of an unbroken, consistent, and yet a dynamic awards scheme which is probably unique in the country. 
Shiham Marikar the Secretary General of the NCE in his introductory address stated that the NCE Awards to recognize and reward the achievements of Sri Lankan exporters in international markets, is the most looked forward to event in the Sri Lankan business calendar.   
He added that since its inception in 1996, this annual event has been conducted without a break, and had seen an increase in the number of applications received from exporters each year to be an Award winner.  
Further the modern concept of the triple bottom line encompassing profit, people, and the planet had been introduced to measure the overall success of export enterprises for sustainability. Along with this measure the awards trophy was also redesigned incorporating these concepts.  He went on to state that the application form of the awards scheme itself has become a living document, since an export enterprise which applies for an award has to fulfill many requirements related to its operations, which gives the opportunity to improve weak areas of the enterprise to conform to international standards.  
Marikar stated that the Chamber will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the event, and that one of the main innovative aspects that has been introduced to the scheme this year  is the ‘Outreach Programme’ to recognize the achievements of provincial enterprises in the field of exports, especially in the SME category, who may or may not be direct exporters, but service providers to exporters by being part of the “Export Value Chain”.  
He added that provincial participants will receive special awards to motivate them, and that the Chamber will work with the Regional Chambers of Industry and Commerce to achieve this objective.   He welcomed representative of regional chambers who were present on invitation to symbolically receive the application for distribution to their respective members.  In this regard their assistance was sought to identify their member companies who could apply and compete for an award.  
Marikar concluded by stating that he along with officials of the NCE plans to visit the respective regional chambers during the next month to meet with their members, and convince them on the importance of applying for an export award, to enable their enterprises to be bench marked related to their current status, and also be recognized by winning an award. 
Prasanna Hettiarachchi, Chairman of Saaraketha Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. who won a prestigious NCE Export Award last year for the first time addressed the distinguished gathering on the benefits his company have derived by winning an Award. 
Hettiarachchi stated that the Cinderella story of Saaraketha shows how the Chamber has been instrumental in propelling a small enterprise to the heights it has reached today by transforming its image to be seen in better light by an exacting international audience.  He stated that it is a challenge to succeed in the International markets especially when you are a small company in a developing country, since the huge investments and strong infrastructures of large exporters were a luxury beyond it.   
Waruni Amunugama, Joint Director and Creative Head of Triad (Pvt) Ltd. who is a very successful entrepreneur in her own right and who was invited to address Women Entrepreneurs to inspire them to be effective partners in the export effort of the country, spoke passionately regarding the role Women Entrepreneurs should play to uplift the economy of the country.  She stated that women entrepreneurs, especially those who have built their enterprises painstakingly from small beginnings should not hesitate to come forward to showcase their achievements, and especially their brands, to be recognized and rewarded.  
In this context she emphasized the value of benchmarking their enterprises, and competing for export awards to savour their own successes and also to inspire others to follow suit.  She stated that some women who have developed their enterprises to a very successful level sometimes do not see the necessity to take part in competitions such as the annual export awards.  She added that in this regard it is all the more important that they do so for the save of their own employees, if not for any other reason, since recognition of the achievements of the enterprise will serve as a huge motivational factor for the employees, who would then feel that they are part and parcel of the success of their enterprise.
She cited the example of Ramya Weerakoon, current Vice President of the NCE, who was present at the event, as a shining example of a person who built her enterprise from scratch to what it is today, diversifying into other areas such as horticulture, from the garments sector.   She expressed the exhilaration and pride   Women Entrepreneurs such as herself felt on the day s. Weerakoon was recognized and rewarded as the Woman Entrepreneur of the year some years ago. 
She also cited the example of Lakmini Wijesundera who built her enterprise in the field of Information Technology which is a man’s field and who was recognized as the woman entrepreneur of the year by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry last year and also as the most outstanding Woman Exporter at the Annual Export Awards of the NCE last year. 
She urged women entrepreneurs who play such an important role in the socio economic development of the country by engaging in business activities in addition to their family responsibilities, as housewives and mothers, to come forward to be recognized and rewarded to inspire others.