By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): ‘Trainee Full Stack Developer’ Course offered by the University of Moratuwa, on its online learning platform in collaboration with DP Education has been awarded first place at the eighth e-learning Excellence Award 2022 by the European Conference on e-Learning.

The awarding ceremony established to recognise innovative programmes in the use of e-learning was held at the International Academic Conference, a global academic research institute, in Britain.

‘Trainee Full Stack Developer’ Course is recognised as the first and only free online computer software development course offered in Sri Lanka. Collaboratively launched by DP Education and the University of Moratuwa in 2022, the Trainee Full Stack Developer Course provides online learning experience for young people of computer software development ambitions. Noteworthy that the online learning platform has now been recognised internationally within less than a year of its establishment.

‘DP Coding School’ is an online initiative built by DP Education founded by Dhammika Perera and Priscilla Perera dedicated to transforming learning and teaching experiences through free online education, best-in-class teachers, and the development of education infrastructure.

Read more about DP Coding School and ‘Trainee Full Stack Developer’:

SriLankan Airlines will unite with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau to organize the Sri Lanka MICE Expo from 13 – 15 March 2023 at Shangri-La Colombo in a bid to position Sri Lanka as a preferred destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE).

The expo would further offer an interactive platform for local MICE service providers to exhibit their products and discuss business avenues with international MICE buyers.

Over 100 international MICE buyers from the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been systematically selected and enlisted for the event by the Board of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.

Participating MICE buyers will join industry forums, networking sessions and familiarization tours that are organized as part of the expo, and receive a 360-degree perspective of Sri Lanka’s distinctiveness that sets it apart from other destinations.

Sri Lanka’s compactly located, yet diverse travel attractions which appeal to a wide variety of interests make it ideal for bleisure; ergo, the perfect MICE destination.

Commenting on the expo, Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines said, “SriLankan Airlines takes pride in fronting the largest MICE tourism industry event of the year in Sri Lanka as the national airline.

The Sri Lanka MICE Expo will provide local service providers such as venue partners and hotels the opportunity to engage with foreign buyers, and provide the assurance needed to strengthen their confidence in Sri Lanka to play host to international MICE events.

SriLankan Airlines believes in investing its efforts in projects that can position Sri Lanka where it truly belongs – as a destination with the gravitas to attract every discerning global traveler, be it for business, leisure or both.”

The participatory international MICE buyers are slated to promote Sri Lanka to clients in their home markets following their travel to Sri Lanka.

The SriLankan Airlines’ MICE team organized the travel arrangements to Sri Lanka for the visiting buyers, in addition to playing a key role in actualizing the MICE Expo 2023.

SriLankan MICE is the complete package, and international MICE buyers can rest assured their experience to be smooth sailing long before their clients start their journey.

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has uncovered details of the management and structural irregularities of the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) at a time where the government has already earmarked the disbanding of the institution bringing its functions under an investment promotion agency (authority) finance ministry sources said.

At a meeting convened under the chairmanship of Prof. Ranjith Bandara, the COPE examined the Auditor General’s reports for the years of 2019 and 2020, as well as the current performance of SLECIC, only to express its absolute displeasure about the way the institution has been functioning.

Special committee appointed by President Ranil Wickremasinghe has already made a recommendation to set up this new agency by bringing the Board of Investment (BOI), the Export Development Board (EDB) and the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) together onto one platform.

National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) and other entities that support exports and investments will also come under the purview of the new agency.

The budget 2023 has allocated Rs 100 million to implement the investment and export sector reforms expeditiously.

COPE chairman, shedding light on the failure of the SLECIC to table the Annual Reports, expressed displeasure over the lack of assistance provided to the Auditor General as a responsible government institution.

The committee also questions the General Manager of SLECIC as to why a corporate plan was not prepared for more than a decade and on what basis the administration process of the institution was carried out without a corporate plan.

The COPE members went on to instruct the SLECIC officials to take immediate measures to present a corporate plan at the earliest possible.

Further, the COPE members also inquired as to why 05 main positions of the director board including finance remain vacant.

While strongly condemning the actions of the General Manager in steering the institution, the COPE members emphasized that the neglect and inaction of respective officials have resulted in the failure of reaching the set objectives of the institution as per the Act.

In this regard, the COPE chairman recommended that the board vacancies be filled with immediate effect to ensure stability and proper institutional mechanism.

Whilst expressing disappointment regarding the indolent nature of the Ministry of Finance in looking into the ongoing irregularities of the SLECIC, the COPE chairman recommended that an investigation should be probed through the CID regarding the loss of institutional information of the institution and recommended that the Chairman of the Corporation take immediate action regarding the said matter.

Furthermore, recommendations were also made to the Finance Ministry to appoint an independent committee consisting of the Internal Auditor affiliated to the Ministry and to submit a report regarding the financial irregularities of the Corporation within 3 weeks.

Recommendations were also given to the Ministry of Finance to conduct a separate investigation regarding the actions of the General Manager of the institution and report to the committee before April 18

Sri Lanka is to import 12 electric vehicles under the program of allowing Sri Lankan migrant workers to import an electric vehicle after remitting money through official channels although the country has no proper charginging centres and electric car repairing facilities.

The programme to allow Sri Lankan migrant workers to import electric vehicles with relief on duty was launched yesterday (March 10).

Accordingly, Sri Lanka Customs has already commenced clearing the electric vehicles imported by migrant workers.

Earlier, Minister of Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara stated that the foreign remittances to Sri Lanka have increased up to USD 475 million by the end of last year, adding that this programme has contributed to the foreign remittance hike.

Through this programme, a license is issued to local migrant workers who import an electric vehicle equivalent to 50% or less of the remittance they have transmitted to Sri Lanka through legal channels.

Furthermore, the duty fees incurred when importing the vehicles should be settled in foreign currency.

However, the Foreign Employment Minister mentions that positive feedback has been received from migrant workers regarding the programme being launched.

The nominated representative of the first recipient of the newly introduced program to allow Sri Lankan migrant workers to import an electric vehicle after remitting money through official channels received the relevant vehicle import permit from Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday.

Daham Perera, the authorized representative of the Sri Lankan migrant worker who imported the vehicle, received the vehicle import permit from Minister Nanayakkara.

The minister on the occasion noted that the decision to allow Sri Lankan migrant workers who remit money through official channels to import an electric vehicle has been much appreciated and inquiries in this regard by workers are increasing on a daily basis.

Any Sri Lankan who lives, works or holds dual citizenship in a foreign country are eligible to import an electric vehicle under the scheme.

Those sending USD 20,000 or more between May 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, can obtain a permit to import an electric car. Those who remit USD 3,000 or more via official channels from May 1st 2022 to May 2023 are eligible to import an electric motorcycle.

The minister emphasized that mandatory remittances directed to Sri Lanka are sent through the legal channels such as the banking system to be eligible for this benefit. The minister further said that it was also mandatory that 50 percent of the money sent has been converted into rupees.