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Rotary Club Colombo Metropolitan partners with S-Lon, PickMe and Keells to enable safer travel

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The Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan in partnership with S-Lon, PickMe and Keells Supermarkets have launched a ‘handwashing unit for three-wheelers’ intending to help ‘Stop the Spread’ during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The initial stage of the partnership will see 500 three-wheelers (Tuk Tuks) that are registered with PickMe in the Colombo District fitted with the ‘hand wash unit’. The project was initiated by the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan (RCCM) in line with the District 3220’s objective of stopping the spread of Covid-19.

Tuk Tuks are a convenient and flexible method of mass transportation. There are approximately 1.2 million registered Tuk Tuk’s in Sri Lanka, and a single vehicle could have at least 30 hires a day. Tuk Tuks are therefore very popular largely due to their accessibility, convenience and lower hiring cost and while they offer an invaluable service to the public.

The introduction of the handwashing unit in Tuk-Tuks aims to negate some of this by promoting hand hygiene in public areas and also more generally even in homes wherein handwashing with soap remains one of our best defences against the virus, along with other public health measures such as maintaining physical distance, avoiding crowded places, practicing cough etiquette and wearing a mask wherever recommended.

Ruwan Gunasena, President, Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan said, “This project that was initiated by one of our members after seeing a similar product go viral in India in June 2020. The handwashing unit was aptly titled a ‘Coronainvention’. We at RCCM decided to redesign and re-engineer the unit to comply with our motor regulations in Sri Lanka and were thrilled when S-Lon, PickMe and Keells Supermarket saw this product as an opportunity for the greater good of our community”.

The Tuk Tuk hand washing unit aims to promote hand hygiene in public spaces to drive one of the main defences prescribed for reducing COVID-19 infection rates and also as a wider means to raising public mass awareness of the need for responsible care and civic responsibility in driving down the spread of the virus, he added.

Chamara Lokupothagamage, General Manager Marketing from S-Lon Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, speaking at the launch added, “When we were initially approached by the RCCM we saw it as a great opportunity to give back to our community. Our partnership with the RCCM sees us fabricate and manufacture the main cylinder used to carry the water and soap dispenser that would be attached to the Tuk Tuk using S-Lon uPVC pipes and fittings. We have managed to give this unit to the RCCM at a highly subsidized price and we hope from this project to create awareness amongst the public that the pandemic is still among us and it is far from over. We must remind ourselves of the basics that we as individuals can do to keep ourselves and our community safe”.

PickMe comes into the partnership with its reach and logistical potential. Isira Perera, Chief Operations Officer, PickMe said, “Since the pandemic began early 2020, PickMe has been able to ensure safer travel for all our customers and riders with our execution on the ground from educational programs to our Driver Partners, temperature checks and visibility on the App, Separator Screens in the vehicle fleet and various sanitization protocols followed by the fleet. The partnership with RCCM is an extension of our ongoing projects of ensuring safer travel for our stakeholders and we look forward to enabling Sri Lanka to move safer.”

 



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SL’s apparel sector seen as placed in jeopardy by US’ 30% reciprocal tariff

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The announcement of a 30% reciprocal tariff by the U.S., scheduled to take effect from 1st August 2025, has raised significant concern within Sri Lanka’s apparel industry. As one of the country’s largest export earners, the sector relies heavily on access to the U.S. market, and such a steep increase threatens to erode competitiveness, particularly when compared to regional peers.

JAAF notes that Vietnam has already concluded its negotiations and now faces a 20% tariff, while Bangladesh, though at 35%, has already begun negotiations with the U.S. to secure a reduction. India’s position remains under discussion, but early signals suggest it may receive a more favorable rate than Sri Lanka. In all likelihood Cambodia, another competitor with a tariff rate marginally higher than Sri Lanka will also be negotiating for a reduction.

“If the 30% tariff stands, we risk seeing a migration of U.S. buyers to lower-tariff countries,” JAAF warned. “We strongly urge the Government to continue active engagement with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to secure a better deal for Sri Lanka.”

The reduction from 44 to 30% is a recognition of the good faith with which Sri Lanka has been having its dialogue with USTR and JAAF is encouraged by the Government’s comments today indicating that negotiations with USTR will continue with a sense of urgency ahead of the 1st August deadline when the 30% will become effective. JAAF further stressed that a diplomatic resolution is vital to safeguarding jobs, sustaining market share, and reinforcing Sri Lanka’s position as a trusted partner in global apparel supply chains.

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Technomedics adds three new members to the Board of Directors

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Technomedics, a leader in healthcare technology in Sri Lanka, proudly announces the appointment of Meval Srilal, Chanaka Weerawardena and Rajeeva Wimalawickrama to its Board of Directors, effective from the 1st of April 2025. The appointments reflect the company’s commitment to strengthening its leadership and laying the foundation for a bold, futuristic strategic vision.

Mevan Srilal has been with Technomedics for 25-years and first joined the company as a Sales Engineer. His consistent performance saw him rise to the role of Chief Operating Officer and ultimately Executive Director. Srilal has played an integral role in expanding the company’s product portfolio and its entry into new markets. He is an Electronics Engineering graduate from University of Hull (UK). His engineering background underscores the unique fusion of technical expertise and business acumen he brings to the board.

Another respected figure from within Technomedics, is Chanaka Weerawardena, who has been with the company for 19-years. After joining the company as a Marketing Manager in 2003, he advanced though the ranks to become Chief Operating Officer in 2017 and was appointed Executive Director. Chanka brings with him a strong foundation in marketing and business strategy, and he holds an MBA from the University of Ballarat, Australia, and is a Fellow member of the Sri Lanka Marketing Institute.

The third new addition to the Board of Directors is Rajeeva Wimalawickrama, who has over 30-years in diverse industries including apparel, plantations, leisure, and healthcare. He joined Technomedics as Deputy General Manager of Finance in and was appointed Chief Financial Officer thereafter. Eventually he went on to become Executive Director in 2022. Over the years Rajeeva has been a central figure in shaping the company’s financial growth and stability. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, the Association of Accounting Technicians and the Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka and member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He holds an MBA from the University of South Queensland, Australia. Rajeeva also a Board member of JF&I Packaging (Pvt) Limited a subsidiary of Technomedics.

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The Colombo Rubber Traders’ Association chairman calls for firm retention of all-inclusive freight regulation to safeguard national competitiveness and export integrity

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In a decisive show of unity and resolve, the Colombo Rubber Traders’ Association (CRTA) Chairman Harin de Silva today extended the Association’s unprecedented support to the continued enforcement of the all-inclusive freight regulation first introduced in 2013, calling on the Government of Sri Lanka to uphold the regulation in the face of renewed lobbying efforts to dismantle it.

He warned that repealing the law would threaten transparency, distort freight pricing, and severely undermine the competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s vital export sector. He further stated that revoking the regulation would reintroduce hidden surcharges—once numbering up to 44 separate fees—leading to anti-competitive practices, price distortions, and an eventual transfer of costs to the end consumer.

The all-inclusive freight regulation, introduced via Gazette in 2013 under the administration of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was the culmination of nearly two decades of advocacy led by trade and shipping councils. The regulation mandates that all freight charges, including terminal handling charges (THC), must be transparently bundled into a single, negotiated freight rate, eliminating ambiguity and arbitrary pricing.

The CRTA, representing one of Sri Lanka’s Natural Rubber sector, reiterated that freight costs form a critical component of pricing competitiveness in international markets. “Our members depend on clear, predictable logistics costs to price their products competitively. Without the regulation, we risk returning to a dark period where exporters were blindsided by opaque, un-negotiated charges that stripped away margins and undermined buyer confidence,” said Harin de Silva.

He further added that dismantling the regulation would be especially damaging for small exporters, who lack the bargaining power to challenge freight agents or foreign buyers offloading costs onto them. He called for structured consultation with industry players before any legislative change. Policy must be made with insight from those directly affected and not anyone else!

The Colombo Rubber Traders’ Association fully endorses the continued enforcement of the all-inclusive freight and calls upon the Government to firmly reject attempts to dismantle the regulation. As a leading voice of one of the country’s legacy export sectors, the CRTA stresses that transparency in freight pricing is essential not only to protect exporters but to uphold national credibility in international trade.

“We urge the Government to recognize that this is not merely a technical rule—it is a safeguard against exploitation, a pillar of fair trade, and a protector of Sri Lankan competitiveness,” the Association stated.

“The freight regulation must be defended—not just for today’s traders, but for the future of Sri Lanka’s export economy. We stand united with our peers in the logistics, apparel, and export communities in saying: this law must stand.”

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