Business
Hemas partners with Clean Ocean Force to safeguard Negombo’s threatened ecosystems
Sri Lanka’s leading diversified corporate Hemas Holdings PLC and its subsidiary Hemas Manufacturing (pvt) Ltd signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Clean Ocean Force Lanka (COF) to carry forward their strong commitment to protect Sri Lanka’s natural environment through sustainable and responsible operations relating to the disposal of plastic waste. The MoUs will allow the two parties to collaborate on a beach caretaker project in Poruthota Beach and a clean-up of Negombo Lagoon to combat plastic pollution in sensitive areas of the Negombo region for a more sustainable future.
The aim of these initiatives is to maximize the recovery of Ocean Plastics, PET bottles, and other pollutants that wash into the Indian Ocean via the Maha Oya Lagoon as well as reduce irresponsible waste disposal by local fishing communities.
Speaking on this timely initiative, Sabrina Esufally, Acting Managing Director of Hemas Manufacturing said, “Efforts such as these are a part of Hemas’ environmental agenda that focuses on raising awareness, championing advocacy through partnerships, and formulating initiatives that safeguard our environment, protect our natural resources and the responsible consumption of plastic. Our partnership with Clean Ocean Force is one of several large-scale environmental projects planned by the Group to ensure the responsible disposal of plastic waste.”
It is estimated that 350 to 500kgs of PET bottles along with another 100kgs of other plastics, cans and pollutants, will be removed through the project. COF’s female workforce, chosen from low-income communities in the area, will participate in the removal exercise. Through the above process, these underprivileged communities are rewarded with incentives that will motivate them to perform such work towards protecting beaches and waterways while uplifting their livelihoods. Apart from this, recyclers pay for what has been collected which is then paid back to the communities in full. This income assures that these volunteers can expect a steady monthly income during the prevailing economic crisis period.
Speaking on this partnership, Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, Group CEO of Hemas Holdings PLC said, “As an island country in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems and beaches hold not just socio-economic importance but are crucial for healthy sustenance of life in Sri Lanka. We have recognised that their conservation is an urgent need of the hour. This is a timely initiative that places a spotlight once again on the need to urgently recycle plastic waste and restore our environment to its pristine glory.”
Negombo is blessed with beautiful sandy beaches and the three waterways bordering the city making it a unique fisheries hub in the Western Province. The first MoU signed between Hemas Holdings and COF seeks to engage in a beach caretaker project along Poruthota beach. The other MoU with Hemas Consumer Brands’ MoU, a clean-up of the Negombo lagoon, will also be set in motion. The lagoon faces massive environmental challenges as it is connected by many canals and waterways that act as a pathway for plastic debris and pollutants. The addition of polythene, plastic, abrasives, and silt to the Negombo lagoon is destroying its biodiversity and endangering the entire marine ecosystem because the lagoon connects to the Indian Ocean.
The vibrant celebration of Canada’s 159th National Day in Colombo brought together diplomats, government representatives, leading business executives and members of the Sri Lankan and Canadian communities, highlighting the growing strength of bilateral economic and commercial relations between Sri Lanka and Canada.
Hosted by the Canada Sri Lanka Business Convention (CanCham Sri Lanka), the event attracted one of the largest gatherings in its history, providing an important platform for business networking while celebrating the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner for Canada in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Isabelle Martin said Canada and Sri Lanka continue to enjoy a warm and expanding partnership built on shared values, people-to-people links, trade, investment and development cooperation.
“Canada Day is an opportunity not only to celebrate our country but also to celebrate the strong friendships and partnerships we have built with Sri Lanka.
The remarkable turnout this evening reflects the strength of those relationships and the growing collaboration between our two nations,” Martin said.
She noted that the close engagement between Canadian and Sri Lankan businesses continues to create new opportunities in trade, innovation, education, sustainable development and investment.
CanCham Sri Lanka officials said this year’s celebration was among the most successful Canada Day events ever organised by the Chamber, drawing an outstanding crowd and creating exceptional opportunities for business networking.
“What an incredible celebration of Canada Day. This was truly one of the most successful Canada Day celebrations in history, with an outstanding crowd and exceptional networking opportunities. It was wonderful to see so many distinguished guests, business leaders and community members come together,” the organisers said.
They thanked sponsors, partners, supporters and volunteers whose dedication ensured the success of the event.
The evening showcased Canada’s multicultural heritage while reaffirming the Chamber’s commitment to promoting stronger commercial links between Sri Lanka and Canada.
Guests representing a wide cross-section of industries exchanged ideas on expanding trade, investment and innovation partnerships.
Canada remains an important economic partner for Sri Lanka, with bilateral trade spanning apparel, agriculture, seafood, ICT services, education and professional services.
Canadian companies continue to explore opportunities in renewable energy, infrastructure, technology and sustainable development, while Sri Lankan exporters maintain a significant presence in the Canadian market.
Business leaders attending the celebration expressed confidence that closer collaboration between the two countries would further strengthen economic resilience and create new opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship and knowledge sharing.
The event concluded on a celebratory note, reaffirming the longstanding friendship between Canada and Sri Lanka and the shared commitment to fostering stronger business and people-to-people ties in the years ahead.
By Ifham Nizam
Tokyo Cement hosted ‘Build Beyond 2026 Summit’, a premier knowledge-sharing conference that brought together leading academics, civil and structural engineering experts and professionals of the Sri Lankan construction industry. The event featured keynote addresses by renowned construction technology specialists, Professor Shashank Bishnoi from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi-Abu Dhabi, and Senior Professor Priyan Mendis from the University of Melbourne.
The summit marked the second edition of the Build Beyond Engineering Technology Summit organized by the Tokyo Cement Group, designed to foster collaboration between academia and industry while highlighting global trends, innovations, and emerging technologies in cement and concrete. This year’s discussions focused on advancements in material science that are driving more sustainable and cost-efficient construction practices.
The event drew participation from state-sector authorities, research institutions, academia, engineering students, and public and private sector organizations, creating a dynamic platform for engagement across the construction industry. A key feature of the summit was a high-level panel discussion on “Building a Resilient and Sustainable Construction Future,” featuring several distinguished industry leaders.
The panel included Eng. Nissanka Wijerathne, the Secretary General/CEO of the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka (CCI), Founder and Deputy Chairman of Civil & Structural Engineering Consultants (Pvt.) Ltd.; Eng. Shiromal Fernando, the Chairman of CTBUH Sri Lanka and Vice President of the Green Building Council Sri Lanka, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University and visiting lecturer at the University of Moratuwa; Eng.
Sri Lanka’s premier web design competition organised by the LK Domain Registry, officially opened BestWeb.LK Rate & Review for 2026 from 23rd to 30th June, It invites everyone to evaluate and rate the sites at rate.bestweb.lk.
Now in its 16th edition, BestWeb.LK continues to set the standard for digital excellence across Sri Lanka. This year, the competition introduces an enhanced Rate & Review System that moves beyond traditional vote-counting, combining public ratings with quality assessments to deliver a fair and comprehensive evaluation across all competition categories.
Members of the public are invited to browse all shortlisted websites, visit each site directly, and submit a rating on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their overall experience. To encourage meaningful participation, ratings submitted by verified users who sign in and complete a one-time OTP verification will carry full 100% weighting in the evaluation. Guest ratings are also accepted, though they carry less weight. Each participant may rate a specific website only once, and a minimum number of verified ratings is required for a website to qualify for the Most Popular Website award in its respective category.
Speaking on the initiative, Prof. Gihan Dias, CEO and Domain Registrar of the LK Domain Registry, stated: “BestWeb.LK has always been about celebrating the best of Sri Lanka’s digital landscape, and public participation is central to that. The Rate and Review System reflect our commitment to ensuring that recognition is meaningful, credible, and truly representative of the quality our web community continues to build.”
Throughout the rating window, the BestWeb.LK Technical Team will actively monitor all participating websites through an automated system to uphold the integrity of the process and identify the Most Popular Website winners in each category.
You are encouraged to rate as many shortlisted websites as you can to ensure broad and balanced feedback across all categories.
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