APEA to showcase SL entrepreneurs

The “Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards” is a regional recognition programme for outstanding entrepreneurs across Asia. It is also a platform for Asian business leaders and entrepreneurs to network, share information and form lifetime acquaintances and alliances.

There are 14 ASEAN nations in this programme. Sri Lanka was invited to join the elite group from 2012. Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2013 will be held in Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year on February 17,2013.

Chief Operating Officer, NDB Indrajit Wickramasinghe presenting the sponsorship cheque to Dushy Jayaweera, President of SLMBC, Kevin de Silva, Project Chairman APEA, Ananda Rajapaksa, Country Diector Enterprise Asia, Tilak Gunawardena, Co-chairman SLMBC look on. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

Commenting on the sponsorship, Chief Operating Officer of NDB Indrajit Wickramasinghe said, “NDB’s involvement in the APEA awards as the principal Sponsor establishes the bank’s commitment towards recognizing Sri Lankan entrepreneurs.

Having partnered the first ever APEA awards held in Sri Lanka last year, we witnessed the success stories of twenty three individuals in diverse sectors of tea, rubber, metal, jewellery, motor, electric, financial services, petroleum and ICT etc. who were honored for their enterprising spirit in their respective fields.

It was also significant for us to observe that NDB had also partnered the success of a vast majority of these twenty-three ventures that were selected winners at the event. The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award ceremony is a unique opportunity for the Sri Lankan business community to be recognized and felicitated on an international platform.

We hope that a higher number of entrepreneurs will rise up to the challenge of being the best amongst the best and enter the contest for awards this year.” He said that they will also woo North East entrepreneurs to participate this year.

Enterprise Asia a non-governmental organization for entrepreneurship, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the owner and organizer of this prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) since 1997.

“Enterprise Asia, in Association with Sri Lanka Malaysia Business Council (SLMBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has taken the challenge to organize this event in Sri Lanka since 2012 onwards” said Dushy Jayaweera, President of SLMBC.

These prestigious Awards for Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs will be held on Sunday February 17, 2012 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo which is also the hotel partner for the event.

In 2012 The Asia Pacific Entrepreneur of the year was W K H Wegapitiya, Chairman, of Laugfs Holdings Ltd, The Woman Entrepreneur of the year was Ishara Nanayakkara Deputy Chairman, Lanka Orix Leasing Company PLC, Special Achievement Award was won by Jayantha Dharmadasa, Chairman, Nawaloka Hospitals PLC. They would not be entitled to compete this year.

An International Panel of Judges will select the winners based on a regional company evaluation bench mark and short list on a computer generated marking scheme and company visits by a Technical Team from Enterprise Asia in Malaysia.

“Sri Lanka’s event is open only to Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs, Sri Lankan public companies; Sri Lanka based foreign direct investment companies, government corporations, and private enterprises. The awards on offer are: Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Emerging Entrepreneurship Award, Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award, Most Promising Entrepreneurship Award and Life Time Achievement Award,” said Ananda Rajapaksa, Country Director for Enterprise Asia, who introduced this event to Sri Lanka.

Entry coupons will be carried in The Daily News, Sunday Observer, Dinamina and Thinakaran newspapers from October 17 and will close on November 17, 2012. Completed Entry coupons are to be sent to Sri Lanka Malaysia Business Council, C/o the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 2. Shortlisted companies will be sent the nomination kit.

For more details email chathurika@chamber.lk.