Best Entrepreneur Award Ceremony of Southern Province 2017

Best Entrepreneur Award Ceremony of Southern Province was held on Tuesday 16 January 2018 at the Sanasa Union Association Auditorium in Matara. The event was organised by the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) in collaboration with the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) and supported by the Chambers of Commerce in Galle and Matara.

The awards were designed to encourage the business community in the Southern province to improve their standards of business practices and achieve higher levels of entrepreneurship. NEDA selected HDCC to manage the evaluation process of award winners and organise the ceremony. 

The Chief Guest was Sagala Rathnayake Minster of Law and Order and Southern Development and Guest of Honour was Prem K. Nair, Consular General, Indian Consular General Office in Hambantota, and R.C. De Zoysa Chief Secretary Southern Province.

Special Guests were M.A. Thajudeen, Additional Secretary – Ministry of Industry and Commerce (SME and Textile Industry Development), Harsha Wijeyawardana, Director – Ministry of Industry and Commerce (SME and Textile Industry Development), Omar Kamil, Chairman/Director General, National Enterprise Development Authority, Lakshman 

Anura Upul, President of Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce, Presidents of Galle, Matara and Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce.

Deeptha Lamahewa, Project Director World University Service of Canada, representatives from government, NGOs and private institutions participated in the event. 

Winners were selected after a panel of judges’ evaluated entrepreneur’s submissions, conducted interviews and attended field visits. The competition provided awards for three sector categories under four size categories. There were six special awards. 

The following awards will be presented at the ceremony:

Southern Province Enterprise Excellence Award

D.G. Sajith Rajapaksha, Managing Director Samsan Rubber Product Ltd., Galle

Large Scale 

Industry and manufacturing D.G. Sajith Rajapaksha, Managing Director Samsan Rubber Product Ltd., Galle

Agriculture/Fisheries/Livestock 

P.B. NimalPremathilaka – Managing Director, Ruhunu Beakers Ltd., Hambantota 

Hospitality/Tourism/Services Chaminda Rusiru Maliyadda – Managing Director, Dumnidu Salt Ltd., Hambantota 

Medium Scale 

Industry and Manufacturing 

Pubudu Pahan Wickramanayake – Managing Director, Graphic Eye Offset Printers Ltd.

Agriculture/Fisheries/Livestock

Susil Kumara – Manager, M.R. Thassim & Company Ltd., Hambantota.

Hospitality/Tourism/Services

Nihal Weerasinghe Gunasekara – Managing Director, Nihal Gunasekara & Company Ltd., Ambalantota 

Small Scale 

Industry and manufacturing

W.T. Dammika Sujith Kumara – Managing Director, W.T.K. Fiber Mills, Weeraketiya

Agriculture/Fisheries/Livestock Manju Susara Senarath Pathirana – Managing Director, Pathirana Fish Farms, Walasmulla

Micro Scale

Industry and Manufacturing

M.M. Subadra Sanjeewani – Managing Director, Chathurya shoe Mart, Akurassa

Agriculture/Fisheries/Livestock

Dinesh Samanpriya Mallawarachchi – Managing Director, Ranbimmal, Galle 

Hospitality/Tourism/Services

H.M. Aroshana Kumara – Managing Director, Aroshana Motors, Akurassa 

Special Awards 

Best Environmental Friendly Enterprise

N.G. Manjula Nishantha – Managing Director, Malindu Dairy Ltd., Angunukolapalassa 

Best Exporter

D.G. Sajith Rajapaksha, Managing Director Samsan Rubber Product Ltd., Galle

Best productive enterprise

Abdul Watheen Mohamed Ahsan, Managing Director, Nafha Bag Ltd., Ginthota

Best innovative enterprise

Ramawickrama Gamachchige Rweendra, Managing Director BATS Lanka Ltd., Matara

Best value added enterprise

Sahan Kumara Withanage – Managing Director, Sahan Enterprises Ltd., Akuressa

Best energy efficiency enterprise

W. Gamage Jagath – Managing Director Arunonanda Traders Ltd., Thihagoda