Tuesday, 26 August 2014 23:15
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The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) yesterday launched the 22nd Annual Export Awards, for the benefit of the exporter community.
This year too the Chamber received a large number of applications. The quality of applications received were of a high standard which reflects the commitment and keenness of applicants to compete for awards, the NCE said in a statement.
The Annual Export Awards conducted by the NCE is a high profile and looked-forward-to event in the business calendar of Sri Lanka. The NCE which is the only Chamber which exclusively serves Sri Lankan exporters, and known as the ‘Voice of the Exporters,’ has been conducting this event without a break since 1993.
It serves to encourage, recognise and reward excellence in exports of Sri Lankan exporters and service providers to 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 Sri Lanka’s export development effort.
The structure and the content of the awards scheme has continuously been refined over the years with the inclusion of value-adding criteria and features, to become the benchmark for similar award schemes in Sri Lanka.
Since the scheme is open to non-member applicants of the Chamber as well, the number of applicants competing for awards especially in regard to non-traditional products and services has increased.
Award winners are selected export of products, export of business and professional services and suppliers and service providers to exporters.
Awards are given away in respect of the various product and services sectors in the form of Gold, Silver, and Bronze trophies to applicants who reach the minimum standard set by an independent professional panel of judges. They are drawn from key organisations such as the Central Bank of Ceylon, Department of Commerce, Sri Lanka Customs, Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Policy Studies, Universities, Chartered Institute of Marketing, etc., representing the various disciplines related to exports.
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 are given away to the ‘Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter,’ ‘Most Value Adding Exporter,’ ‘Best Woman Exporter,’ ‘Best SME Exporter’ and ‘Best Exporter in Emergency Markets’.
A special feature of the scheme is the three special awards (Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies) given to 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.
To assist in the selection of the winners of the above three special Awards, the Chamber has obtained the services of a professional from the Coordinating Secretariat for Science and Technology Innovation (COSTI) to serve on the panel of judges. It was heartening to note the enthusiasm of exporters to compete in this category. The Chamber proposes to develop this category further in the future to encourage achievement of higher standards in respect of innovations.
The most coveted overall Gold Award is awarded to the ‘Most Outstanding Exporter’ of the year, while the runner-up receives the ‘Most Outstanding Exporter’ Silver award.
