Business
St. Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya stresses educational excellence and human development

1947- 2022 St. Xavier’s College OBA
The Vespers service of the patron St. Francis Xavier took place last Saturday at the St Xavier’s Church Nuwara Eliya in the presence of the Chief Celebrant Rev. Fr. Roshan Almeida, and the feast was headed by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Kandy, Rt. Rev. Fr. Alvin Fernando. The highlight of the 75th-anniversary celebrations of the OBA was the formal gathering and the fellowship dinner at Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya.
Addressing the gathering the Past President RM Nawaz went on to say that the Old Boys’ Association of St Xavier’s College which was founded in 1947 by Rev. Fr. Fareena and a handful of old boys has come a long way and during the last 75 years it has grown from strength to strength, and today one cannot think of the College without thinking of the Old Boys’ Association. The construction of the up-stair building was a major effort initiated by Rev. Fr.D.M.Xavier with the assistance of the Old boys in 1958; conducting the Annual inter-house sports meet, organizing the feast of St Francis Xavier; educational and religious activities and several extra-curricular activities have been spearheaded by the OBA over the years.
Joint Secretary Benjamin Jeganathan unfolded the OBA plans for 2023/24. At the outset, he mentioned that the stakeholders, the education and Ecclesiastical authorities , parents, present students, teachers, and old boys share equal responsibility in maintaining the standards while developing the institutions. Initiating the construction of a modern school building on the site where the Hundred-year-old Rev. Fr. Siriwardene block stands today, organizing fundraisers, introducing scholarships to facilitate promising students in their educational pursuits. Upgrading of the library, continuation of the online non-fee levying English course for adults were some of the main proposals welcomed by the house with an applaud. The secretary reiterated the fact that the generosity of a few old boys enabled them to raise over 1 million Rupees that was donated towards the renovation of the main church building. Dr Savitri Ravi Warma who was the first Xaverian entrant to the medical faculty of the university of Peradeniya in 1981 urged that the A/L classes at SXC be recommenced.
Old Xaverian Senior Advisor Suren Swaminathan, Chairman Sri Lanka Business Council who was awarded “Special Global Sri Lankan of the year 2022” at the WIM Top 50 Global Awards Ceremony held in Dubai this year, and Old Xaverian Travis Boulton for being awarded by the Sri Lanka Football Federation for his outstanding services to Football in Nuwara Eliya were congratulated.
Members mentioned that they are certain that St Xavier’s Parish that comprises over 150 families along with the residents of Nuwara Eliya of all ethnic groups and creeds will be ever grateful to the authorities if this noble institution could be put on its feet again as the humble and sincere desire of the parents is to see their children blossom forth as men of good moral standards with a good education. This augurs well for all parents, and the revival of the College will be a forerunner for peace and goodwill among all communities as a well-knit Sri Lankan community.
Mohan Samarakoon, the well-known rugby player of Up-Country, one of the trustees of CPRFU and the main benefactor of the Kandy Cancer Society delivered the keynote address. He mentioned that reunion of Old boys is important in focusing on productive projects and he went on to mention that the Roman Catholic church and other denominations have done yeomen service towards education in Sri Lanka. He spoke about the importance of quality in education and urged that the neglected institutions should be revived for the benefit of the next generation and congratulated the St Xavier’s OBA for its longstanding service to the College and the area.
The 75th Anniversary toast was proposed by Suren Swaminathan who added his nostalgic memories and urged all the old boys to join the OBA to revive this noble institution that has nurtured inclusiveness irrespective of differences. The St Xavier’s Old Boys’ Association Official website was launched by the Mayor of Nuwara Eliya along with Senior Advisor Paul Perera. Many Old Xaverians were felicitated at this event. The Dinner dance was led by the band Temptations with Paul Perera of the celebrated band Rubicons, Ajith Silva, Peter Arsakularatne of Peter Combo and Dilan Dominic.
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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