Aitken Spence Hotels Ranked Highest in STING Corporate Accountability Rating 2011 Tourism Sector by LMD magazine Sri Lanka

05th February 2011, www.island.lk

Aitken Spence Hotels was the only hotel company ranked in the top ten and was the highest ranked contender in the tourism sector in the STING Corporate Accountability Rating 2011 as revealed in the February issue of LMD.

The STING Accountability Rating conducted an independent survey of the LMD 50 companies and 10 key State Owned Enterprises (SEOs) operating in Sri Lanka.

The survey was carried out based on information provided by the companies on a voluntary basis as well as from information that is available to the public – including annual reports, sustainability reports and corporate websites. The companies are categorized into broad bands (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze) which provides an indication of their levels of advancement in the area of corporate accountability.

Aitken Spence Hotels were classified "Gold" based on scores derived to reflect a holistic and integrated approach to CSR, sustainability and governance.

The STING Corporate Accountability Index assesses companies based on six areas; measurement and disclosure, corporate values, stakeholder engagement, policy coverage, management and governance and identifying impacts, risks and opportunities. These key factors are weighted according to their relative importance in facilitating corporate accountability.

"Sustainability is a core belief of Aitken Spence Hotels and an integrated sustainable policy has been developed and implemented internally, incorporating our values and commitment to the environment and the communities in which we operate. We consciously adopt best practices in environmental and social governance in harmony with the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals.

We believe that that our philosophy has assisted us in differentiating our product both in the local and international arena", said Mr. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels.

The Aitken Spence Hotels chain includes exotic properties such as Barefoot at Havelock located on the "The Best Beach in Asia" as rated by the Time Magazine; Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka’s most awarded hotel and "an icon of modern hotel design" as rated by the Observer UK; and Desert Nights Camp, Al Wasil, Oman, rated as one of the top ten desert retreats in the world. The chain’s Heritance Tea Factory has been rated by The Independent, UK as one of the ‘Top Five Factory Hotels’ in the world and one of the best 100 places to stay in the world by the Sunday Times, UK.

Related Info :
• Tea Tourism at Heritance Tea Factory, the Highest Located Tea Factory now One of the Five Best Factory Hotels in the World
• Heritance Kandalama Wins Wild Asia 2010 Responsible Tourism Award for Large Hotels at ITB Asia Tourism Trade Show

Replica Ship Jewel of Muscat in Galle, Sri Lanka on a Historic Voyage from Oman to Singapore

19th April 2010, www.news.lk

The ‘Jewel of Muscat’, a replica of a 9th century Arab trading vessel which is on a historic voyage sailing from Oman to Singapore has arrived in Galle. The 18-meter-long vessel left the Kerala port of Cochin in India on 10th April and sailed through a tropical storm to arrive in Galle.

A ceremony will be held today to welcome the old world Arabian ship. The ship, a gift from Oman to Singapore set sail on 16th February from the Omani port of Sultan Qaboos. Using the 9th century navigation techniques the vessel reached the port of Cochin in India on March 15th after covering 1300 miles in 28 days.

Tuanie Ismail, a native of Kandy joined the voyage from Cochin for the second leg along with a British national, Geoffrey Dobbs, who currently lives in Galle. From Galle the ship will sail across the Bay of Bengal through the Straits of Malacca to Singapore where it will be displayed in a museum. It is expected to reach Singapore in June 2010.

Oman Based Milcris Records 400Mn Turnover Backed by Seven Seas Group. Aims to be the Preferred Cost Consultancy Service Provider in the Region

16th December 2009, www.thebottomline.lk

Milcris Pvt Ltd, headed by Sri Lankan CEO Millan de Silva, in a short period of time, has an annual turnover in excess of Rs 400 million, while its Sri Lankan staff [making up 95% of the Company’s total staff strength] remit over Rs 250 million annually to Sri Lanka.

Backed by the Seven Seas Group of Companies in Oman, a conglomerate which has interests in oil, real estate and shipping, Milcris has emerged to become a key player in the construction industry of Oman and its development. Milcris is also recognised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

CEO, Millan de Silva, addressing a media briefing in Colombo, said his company was ready to take on work in his homeland and was confident that with the return of peace and the opening up of the north and East under a firm and stable government, the time was ripe for Sri Lanka to take its place as a leading Asian economy.

“We aim to be the preferred Cost Consultancy service provider in the region and in the coming year hope to expand our services to Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, as well as Sri Lanka. In fact in the coming year we hope to push our turnover up to Rs 750 million” said De Silva.

Milcris whose chairman is none other than His Highness Sayyid Shihab Bin Tariq Al Said, a high profile Royal family member, is currently handling the cost consultancy for the construction of two new airports in Muscat and Salalah valued at US $ 4.5 billion, each with a passenger load of 12 and 2 million respectively per annum.

“This is not the only project we are handling, though it is undoubtedly the biggest; we are also working on the new campus for the Dhofar University in Salalah valued at US $ 100 million, as well as a town development project which will be both residential and commercial in Salalah, valued at US $ 40 million”.

Image: L – R: Minol de Silva – Commercial Manager, Udhyani Jayasuriya – Quality Assurance and Training Manager of Milcris. At the podium is Millan de Silva – CEO and Managing Director