Business
Job market outlook for apparel sector remains neutral

Hiring jumps in food and beverages sector anticipating upcoming festival demand
According to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index of the Central Bank, employment in the manufacture of textile and wearing apparel sector remained in the neutral threshold during the month of February 2021.
However, employment expanded at a higher rate in February compared to January, particularly in the manufacture of food & beverages sector, in-line with increase
in production, the report indicated.
The report further states: “Manufacturing PMI sustained its expansion in February 2021 recording an index value of 59.4, owing to the expansion in production and new orders. Further, stock of purchases and employment as well as suppliers’ delivery time remained expanded supporting to sustain the overall manufacturing sector PMI at an elevated level.”
“Production sub-index increased during the month, especially in the manufacture of food and beverages sector, anticipating the upcoming festival demand while new orders
recorded a high index value. Further, the manufacture of textile and wearing apparel sector also recorded healthy index values with regard to new orders and production.”
“Although Production expanded at a higher pace, the stock of purchases expanded at a slower rate mainly due to the piled-up stocks during the previous month, owing to anticipated supply disruptions due to Chinese New Year holidays.”
“Further, the suppliers’ delivery time sub-index lengthened at a slower pace
during the month. Expectations for manufacturing activities in the next three months
remained at improved levels with the expectation for the normalisation of economic activities within the country as well as in major export markets.”
“Services PMI increased to 56.5 in February 2021 indicating a further improvement in
the services sector. This increase was underpinned by the expansions observed in new
businesses, business activities and expectations for activity. New businesses increased in February 2021, particularly with the improvements observed in financial services, other personal services and real estate activities sub-sectors.”
“Business activities in the services sector increased in February 2021 for the third consecutive month. Transportation and financial services sub-sectors recorded an improvement during the month with the normalisation of economic activities. Further, the business activities in education sub-sector expanded in February 2021 due to
new intakes of students to higher education institutes after G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. Moreover, other personal services and real estate activities sub-
sectors also experienced an increase in business activities in February 2021,” the report said.
Business
Exterminators PLC certified as great place to work

Exterminators PLC announces that it has been certified as a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row. This achievement reaffirms our commitment to creating an environment that fosters learning, development, and success for our staff members. The certification was awarded after an independent audit and certification process conducted by the renowned organisation Great Place to Work (GPTW), which evaluated our company across various focus areas. Exterminators PLC excelled in the Trust Index, scoring high points in all focus areas during the certification process.
“The challenges we faced over the past twelve months were unprecedented. We are proud of our coworkers, who kept our business operating without interruption by working collaboratively and courageously and leaning on our collective creativity, innovation, and passion. Our slogan was ‘How can we’ keep the promise we made? and we constantly innovated to get the job done, no matter how difficult it was.
We are grateful to our coworkers who collaborated with us during these most challenging times and for their pure commitment and loyalty towards Exterminators PLC, which kept us moving forward despite unprecedented obstacles.” Marlon Ferreira the Managing Director said.
Business
SLT-MOBITEL mTunes introduces ‘Be a Millionaire’ promo

Bringing elevated lifestyle experiences, SLT-MOBITEL is offering users the ultimate chance to turn music into wealth with its new ‘Be a Millionaire’ promo on mTunes.mTunes is a digital lifestyle service that allows customers to personalise their Caller Ring Back Tone (CRBT) with their favourite songs or audio content. It adds a unique and personalised touch to phone calls, allowing customers to express their originality and preferences with their loved ones.
With a vast collection of songs on the mTunes platform, the ‘Be a Millionaire’ promo offers users the opportunity to connect with their hearts’ content and win big cash prizes. From September 1st to November 30th, 2023, the ‘Be a Millionaire’ promo on mTunes promises incredible prizes for lucky participants. The grand prize is an amazing Rupees One million (Rs. 1,000,000) with additional rewards of Rs. 100,000 for the second winner and Rs. 50,000 for the third place. But the path to wealth does not end; seven more lucky winners will receive Rs. 10,000 each, and every week, there will be twelve lucky winners of Rs. 10,000 each in cash prizes.
Participating in the promotion is easy. Existing and new CRBT users have the chance to win these fantastic prizes, including becoming millionaires, by simply activating more mTunes during the promotional period. With multiple cash prizes available, there are numerous opportunities to win every week. The ‘Be a Millionaire’ promotion is a golden opportunity to make dreams come true.
Users can increase their chances of winning by simply activating more mTunes daily. Users can also experience the fun, excitement, and entertainment offered by mTunes and enjoy the world of music.
For more information, contact mTunes at 777 or visit mtunes.mobitel.lk
Business
Lanka can build strong tourism ‘eco-brand’: UN official

By NETHMI RAJAWASAM
ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka can build an ‘eco-brand’ catering especially to younger tourists who feel strongly about the environment, United Nations Resident Representative to Sri Lanka, Azusa Kobota said.
About 70 percent of global travellers prioritise sustainability in their holiday choices, marking a ten percent increase from 2021, while around 30 percent of travellers feel guilty about flying, due to carbon emissions, she said.
“As the world embraces green thinking during this time of economic recovery efforts, the objective of the tourism sector cannot simply be about increasing the number of inbound tourists,” Kobota said at an event marking World Tourism Day in Colombo.
“It has to be about enhancing their experience through green lenses, by implementing a responsible, eco-conscious paradigm for the sector and building a stronger eco-brand around the sustainable agenda for Sri Lanka,”
“This is no longer about reducing the trade offs between growing the industry and protecting the environment.
“We must see nature as our asset and solutions to be obtained for the exponential growth for our future generations.”
The sustainable tourism market is estimated to have earned 195 billion US dollars in 2022, and is expected to reach about 656 billion US dollars in 2032, she said.
“Tourists, particularly the younger generations from gen X,Y,Z are deeply, deeply conscious about the long term choices of their actions, and the adverse impact of tourists on the environment.
“Statistics show that a significant proportion of global travellers, about 30 percent, feel guilty about flying due to the environmental impact and 22 percent say they actively prefer public transport and bicycle rental options, over renting a car.”
Sri Lanka welcomed one million tourists by September 26 and is expecting more that 1.5 million tourists by the end of the year.
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