Business

Salon owners contemplating pulling the plug, putting more than 300,000 jobs at risk

Published

4 years ago

2022/09/26

Thilina Walpola

= Ban on imported cosmetic products hampers industry
= Marked decrease in consumers patronising salons
= Developing Sri Lanka as a wedding-hub ‘fading away’
= Urges President to help protect the self-reliant industry

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Ninety percent of salons across Sri Lanka are at the risk of closure unless the temporary ban on imported cosmetic products is lifted soon, Jackie Aponso, president, Hair and Beauty Cluster (HBC) said last week addressing a press conference in Colombo.

She claimed that such an eventuality could lead to 75%-80% job losses of industry personnel. “That’s a large number as HBC is a unification of many associations in the beauty and personal care sector with 450,000 members,” she said.According to the figures given by her if the situation persists, 337,500 – 360,000 jobs would be lost for employees in the industry.

‘Yes, there is a sound fiscal argument for the government’s temporary ban on imported cosmetic products in the tight foreign exchange reserves backdrop. But if the ban is not lifted by the end of this month to facilitate the availability of international cosmetic brands in the market for upcoming Christmas and New Year, its impact will take a devastating toll on the 450,000 self-employed individuals engaged in the industry and 1.5 million of their dependents”, Jackie said.

‘Most foreign and local customers prefer international brands for their hair and skin treatments. Although a number of home-grown cosmetic brands have emerged, customers prefer their hair and facials done with brands that have been frontrunners in the market which they have relied on for years. Being a highly customer-centric business, we have to work with formulas that customers are comfortable with, because they are concerned about what we put on their face and hair.”

“It’s a relief to hear that the import ban is temporary. But it needs to be lifted quickly to allow sufficient lead time for cosmetics importers to place orders and bring the products to Sri Lanka. It was no secret that our industry was heavily battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and somehow we braved up to this point safeguarding our businesses. And we all have been looking forward to this season to offset the losses we suffered in the past two and a half years. If the ban is lifted by end of this month, imported brands will be available in the market by mid or end of November, and salons will be well-positioned to start work diligently as the season kicks off. But if the imported products reach here as late as mid-December, then this year also will be marked as another unfortunate business year for the salon industry, “she said.

“When we don’t have wedding makeup essentials, a number of other industries also will get affected; such as hotels, wedding and event planners, wedding florists, bridal photographers, Poruwa suppliers, hall decorators and so on. As a result of the import ban, a black market has emerged where the prices of cosmetics have gone up by 6-7 folds. This has put 90% of our beauty and personal care parlours in great difficulty. A hair spray which was about Rs. 2,000, now costs Rs. 12,000. Can we pass that cost burden to the customer? No, we can’t. It is the same with all other products. There are a few salons that can afford such high costs and charge high prices, but the majority of our members are not so, and they are at the risk of closing their businesses. As there has been a marked decrease in customers patronizing salons, some members even called us and asked for help to sell their equipment and exit the industry. Such a situation may create an unemployment problem as they are all self-employed individuals.”

According to HBC, the industry’s cosmetics import bill accounts for 0.08% of the total national import bill. They also highlighted the fact that all registered cosmetics importers and HBC members pay their due taxes to the government.

Salon entrepreneur Bernie Balasuriya said: “Our industry brings in foreign exchange to the country. When foreigners and expatriates come to Sri Lanka for weddings, their families stay in hotels for about a week. Sometimes we set up salon space inside the hotel to cater to beauty and personal care needs of these visitors. They want us to use international cosmetic brands. This is an industry which earns foreign exchange and which therefore demands best industry practices.”

Theekshani Kariyawasam, Gold medal winner at OMC Hairworld in France in the category of bridal makeup, who successfully competed against contestants from more than 60 countries, said that the situation is so sad especially because Sri Lankan beauty artistes and entrepreneurs have never been a burden on the economy. We have always relied on our own talent and commitment. We need international cosmetic products to work with and be recognized for highest standards on par with other destinations.”

Asoka Thilakaratna who boasts 35-years of experience in the industry said,”Skilled Sri Lankan hairdressers and beauticians get overseas jobs because they have a lot of knowledge and experience in working with international cosmetic brands and techniques. That serves as a plus point for them at job interviews with prospective foreign employers. Further, I heard the good news that there would be some Indian weddings taking place here in Sri Lanka in November, December and January. I know from my experience that they come as groups about a week before the wedding and get all their beauty treatments done in Sri Lanka. If we don’t have cosmetic brands they love and trust, we could miss out on these business opportunities because they make it a point to stay away from lesser known products and fake products.”

Concluding the comments, Jackie Aponso said,” We have made an appeal to President Ranil Wickremasinghe to consider the lifting of the ban with the objective of protecting this self-reliant industry and its self-employments. We look forward to a favourable solution in time to get back to business.”

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Business

ComBank hands over fully refurbished wards at De Soysa Hospital for Women

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Pictured here are the representatives of the Bank and senior officials of the hospital at the ceremonial handing over of the refurbished ward.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently handed over Wards No. 03 and 04 of the De Soysa Hospital for Women, after the completion of a comprehensive renovation project launched in March this year to mark International Women’s Day.

Wards 03 and 04 handle a substantial share of the hospital’s patient load, and account for approximately 2,500 to 3,000 deliveries and 4,000 to 5,000 admissions annually. Their refurbishment was designed to significantly enhance patient care, safety and comfort, and directly benefit thousands of mothers and newborns.

Five Trustees of the Commercial Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Trust participated in the formal handing over of the refurbished wards to the hospital authorities. They were Sharhan Muhseen, the Bank’s Chairman, Raja Senanayake, Deputy Chairman, Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO, Hasrath Munasinghe, Chief Operating Officer, and Prasanna Indrajith, Chief Financial Officer.

Established in 1879, the De Soysa Hospital for Women is the first maternity hospital in Sri Lanka and the second oldest in Asia and is credited with, among others, performing the country’s first caesarean section in 1905 and establishing one of its earliest organised operating theatres in 1907.

The Commercial Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Trust, through which this project was implemented, has via its healthcare-related interventions supported more than 100 government hospitals with essential equipment and infrastructure, contributed to emergency medical services through the ‘Adopt an Ambulance’ initiative, and implemented targeted community health interventions such as water storage solutions for families affected by kidney disease.

Business

IIHS expands global nursing pathways

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Renuka Jayatissa and Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe speaking to the media

The International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS) Multiversity is expanding its international education programmes with the aim of creating overseas employment opportunities for Sri Lankan nurses and allied health professionals while contributing to foreign exchange earnings.

Speaking to the media during a conference at IIHS Multiversity in Kerawalapitiya, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, CEO, Co-Founder and Dean of IIHS aid that the institute has established academic partnerships with overseas universities and higher education institutions, including the University of Surrey in the UK, Deakin University in Australia, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, Asia e University in Malaysia and SUNY Canton in the United States.

Under its ‘Study in Sri Lanka, Graduate to the World’ model, students can complete foundational and diploma-level qualifications locally before progressing to international top-up degrees or overseas employment.

Dr Edirisinghe said the model could substantially reduce the cost of obtaining internationally recognised qualifications. It estimates that completing a four-year bachelor’s degree at the University of Surrey in the UK would cost about USD 145,700, including tuition and living expenses, compared with about USD 27,750 through the IIHS pathway in Sri Lanka.

Dr Edirisinghe said the institute’s focus on overseas deployment addressed both Sri Lanka’s economic needs and the growing global demand for healthcare workers.

“Our winning model is producing job-ready, registration-ready healthcare professionals who can seamlessly enter foreign healthcare systems,” he said.

IIHS, which began operations in 2002 as the American College of Health Sciences, established its institutional base in Welisara in 2008 and launched its purpose-built greenfield multiversity campus in 2023.

The institute said it has upgraded the qualifications of more than 5,000 government nurses, supported over 2,500 youth on international employment pathways and trained more than 1,000 allied health professionals. It has also carried out over 250 community health projects.

The institute has identified Germany and Japan among its target markets, with pathways planned for 2,000 nurses for Germany and a one-year preparation programme linked to around 4,000 healthcare positions in Japan.

Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, Vice-Chancellor and a specialist medical doctor, said demographic changes and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases were changing healthcare requirements in Sri Lanka.

Business

Sampath Bank launches Sri Lanka’s first community-powered book discovery platform at Colombo International Book Fair

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Sampath GPay customers can enjoy 25% cash back on Book Fair purchases

Sampath Bank PLC has launched Sampath Book Finder, Sri Lanka’s first community-powered book discovery platform, giving visitors to the Colombo International Book Fair a faster and more seamless way to find the books they are looking for across the fair’s 150+ stalls, while also opening up new opportunities to discover titles recommended by fellow readers.

Introduced on the opening day of the Colombo International Book Fair on 25 September, Sampath Book Finder brings together digital innovation and the collective knowledge of readers to address a familiar challenge at one of Sri Lanka’s largest literary gatherings, where the scale of the fair can make locating a particular title a time-consuming exercise. When a book proves difficult to locate, visitors can access bookfairtracker.com or scan the designated QR code and submit a request to the community, allowing readers who have already spotted the title to share its location and help others find it without having to search stall after stall.

Commenting on the initiative, Milinda Weerasinghe, Chief Marketing Officer, Sampath Bank PLC, said, “At Sampath Bank, we believe meaningful innovation begins by identifying everyday challenges and creating solutions that make a real difference. Sampath Book Finder brings this thinking to the Colombo International Book Fair by turning the collective knowledge of readers into a real-time digital solution, empowering them to find what they are looking for, discover something new and help others do the same, while making the overall experience more convenient and connected.”

The platform also turns book discovery into a shared experience, allowing visitors to recommend books they encounter by sharing the title, publisher, hall and stall number, which enables fellow readers to discover sought-after titles and recommendations while making it easier to locate them within the fair.

Sampath Bank’s longstanding association with the Colombo International Book Fair also continues in 2026, marking more than 20 years of partnership, with the Bank serving as the Official Banking Partner for this year’s fair. As part of its presence at the event, SampathCards offer 25% cashback for Sampath GPay customers on their purchases and 3 months 0% instalment plans for book purchases via Sampath credit cards, while visitors can also access banking services through the Bank’s physical presence at the fair. Customers registering to open selected Fixed Deposits at the premises will receive an additional 0.25%, adding further value and convenience for visitors.