NCE launches 21st Export Awards

Tuesday, 3 September 2013 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) launched the 21st Annual NCE Export Awards last week at the Colombo Hilton with the invaluable support of the sponsors who are an integral part of the success of the event. The Annual Export Awards conducted by the NCE, is a high profile, and looked forward to event in the business calendar in Sri Lanka. The NCE which is the only Chamber exclusively serving Sri Lankan Exporters, and known as the ‘Voice of the Exporters’, has been conducting this event without a break since 1993. It serves to recognise and reward excellence in exports of Sri Lanka Exporters, who make an indispensable and vital contribution to sustain, and expand the economy of Sri Lanka. The event is therefore one of the signal contributions made by the Chamber to the Export Development effort of Sri Lanka.

The structure and the content of the awards scheme has been refined and improved over the years with the inclusion of value adding criteria and features, to become the benchmark for similar awards schemes in Sri Lanka. With the opening of the scheme for non member applicants as well, in addition to member companies of the Chamber, the number of applicants competing for awards has shown a marked increase in several sectors, and especially in regard to non-traditional products and services. Award Winners are selected from each of the three under noted major sectors: Export of Products; Export of Business and Professional Services; Suppliers and Service Providers to Exporters; Awards are given away for the various product and service sub sectors in the form of Gold, Silver and Bronze Trophies as well as Merit Certificates, based on benchmarks decided by an independent professional panel of judges, and on the standard of achievement of applicants in the particular year. The high standard of the scheme is maintained by not giving away all awards allocated for particular product or services sub sectors if a reasonable standard is not achieved. The overall winner in respect of a particular product or services sector, comprising all enterprises in the Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large categories, receives the outstanding exporter sector Gold Award. Additionally, special awards have been hither-to given away to the ‘Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter’, the ‘Most Value Adding Exporter’, and the Best Woman Exporter. This year the Chamber has added three other special awards to meet current needs viz. Gold Awards for the Best SME Exporter, and the Best Exporter in Emerging Markets. Further, a special feature of the scheme this year is the inclusion of three special awards (Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards) for the three best innovative exporters. This move has been made by the Chamber in recognition of the importance of innovation by Sri Lankan exporters to survive in the fiercely competitive international markets. For this purpose, the Chamber has entered into a collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage and materially assist the efforts made by exporters at innovation to develop high tech innovative products, since Sri Lanka lags far behind other competitor countries in this respect, including neighbouring countries in the Asian Region. In order to give an impetus and encouragement, as well as to guide the applicants in the preparation of their applications for special awards to recognise efforts at innovation, basic guidelines were provided by the Chamber to all applicants. It was heartening to note the interest of exporters in this category, with the selection of the three best innovators. The Chamber proposes to develop this category further in the years to come to achieve higher standards in respect of innovations. The most coveted overall Gold Award is won by the ‘Most Outstanding Exporter’ of the year, while the runner up receives the ‘Most Outstanding Exporter’ Silver Award. The Glamour, prestige and high standard of this unique event would not have been possible without the magnanimous contributions made by the sponsors of the event.