Central Province Chamber Accomplished a Lot Says President Anuruddha Warnakula

In the past twelve months the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Central Province (CCICP) has worked tirelessly to serve its membership said the president of the Chamber Anuruddha Warnakula, presenting a review of work accomplished by the organization that he leads. On the tax front the Chamber, through its Finance Committee, lobbied to abolish the BTT and to reintroduce income tax for public sector workers so that they are on par with private sector workers for taxes. The CCICP also organized a meeting of several provincial chambers to gather information to prepare a presentation to the Presidential Tax Taskforce on National Tax Policy. The Chamber also held several seminars on tax policy and banking and credit for the benefit of the members.

The Agriculture and Farming Committee did several projects to assist poultry farmers. The Industrial Committee initiated programmes to assist the plastic industry and saw mills and timber industry.

The Chamber also established links with trades association in the smaller towns around Kandy such as Gampola, Peradeniya and Nawalapitiya to help address issues that their members face and to develop capacity of the Associations.

CCICP also forged a close relationship with the Nuwara Eliya Chamber to engage in multiple activities beneficial to the business community in the two regions.

Nimini Wijetunga is the Best in Bridal Dressing

Bridal dressmaker and beautician Nimini Wijetunge won both the Kandyan bridal dress competition as well as the Low-country/Indian/Western competition in the “MANALI” 2011, Bridal Competition conducted by the Central Province Women's Chamber of Small Industries & Commerce (CPWCIC). An array of 26 models presenting Kandyan bridal fashions and 35 representing Low-country, Indian and Western fashions making a total of 61 took to the stage.

Chandima Dilhani Gunarthne was the first runner up in the Kandyan competition and A.N.P.B. Uduwelaarachchi the second. In the Low-country/Indian/Western competition D.A.S.K.M. Abeysekara came second and Bhagya Ekanayaka came third.

Three eminent beauticians Mrs.Jayanthi Gamage, Mr. Thusitha Ethugala and Mrs. A.G. Uthmanrajah served on the panel of judges.

Bank of Ceylon was the main sponsor of the event. British Cosmetics, Natural Essence, Jovees, Junaids, and Purple Dress Centre also supported he vent with gifts and cash grants.

Prasanna Chandrasekara Wins USA Film Award

Co-producer Prasnnna Chandrasekera and his team have won four awards for their film Sinhawalokanaya from the Films and Drama Foundation (FDF) in Los Angeles, USA for the best film from Sri Lanka screened in USA by the Foundation in 2011. Old Trinitian Chandrasekera is the Managing Director of the Chandarsekera Group of Companies, Kandy.

Chandrasekera and his three co-producers won the award for the best production. Suneth Malinga Lokuhewa who directed the film won the best director award. Dilan Jayasinghe who played the main role in the film and the Sri Lankan cricket captain Thilakarathne Dilshan who had a minor role also were recognized with awards.

FDF screens films from Sri Lanka every year. Sinhawalokanaya was screened in six cities in the USA. The film that has a cast of forty five actors is the first ever cricket film from Sri Lanka. Director Lokuhewa has written the script for the film. Set in British colonial Sri Lanka it tells a story how an amateur village cricket team won a match against an English team over a bet and saved the village.

In an interview with The Kandy News, Producer Chandrasekera revealed his love for art. He said that he was looking for an opportunity to get involved in film production and an opportunity opened when he met music director Ravi Hanse who invited him to compose music for a film made by film director Udayakantha Warnakulasuriya. The next step was Sinhawalokanaya produced jointly with Rohan De Silva, Ravi Hanse and Dilan Jayasinghe.

Chandrasekera has joined hands with photographer Indika Mallawaarachchi to launch a new venture called Artist Creation to cater to the high end still photography and videography market.

His next film Suranganalowen Avilla produced jointly with Praveen Jayarathna will be released next year. He wants to expand the distribution of Sri Lankan films internationally. He says that his next artistic venture ideally would be prodiction of a drama.