News
Gas World To Double Its Oxygen Production Capacity
Gas World (Pvt) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Industrial Gases Pvt Ltd, recently announced their plans to add yet another ASU Plant to increase their Medical and Industrial Oxygen production capacity, a company news release said.
Gas World (established in 1992) is a newer entrant to the industry following the very long-established Ceylon Oxygen, one privately owned but later made a Government Owned Businesss Undertaking in the seventies.It was only in the third week of April 2021 that they commissioned their third plant boosting production capacity to almost 38 tons per day. The commissioning of this plant was long delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in China from November 2019 till end 2020.
As announced by Mr Sumith Guruge, Chairman of Industrial Gases (Pvt) Ltd and Gas World (Pvt) Ltd “this was a part of our normal capacity expansion based on pre Covid-19 economic conditions. Fortunately, this plant was commissioned in April 2021 enabling local production capacity to meet the bulk of the Sri Lanka’s health sector needs during the early days of the third wave of Covid-19. This enabled the company to increase its supply of Oxygen to the health and industrial sectors from around 10 to 40 tons per day”.Guruge is confident in having the new plant up and running within a few months as opposed to the usual time taken to commission such a plant. He also stated that ” we have maintained our prices to the health sector stable throughout the pandemic and with the commissioning of the fourth plant, Gas World will double its Oxygen and Nitrogen output.
“With a vibrant vaccination program and other health safety measures in place, we are confident that the pandemic would fade-away sooner than expected enabling the local industries such as construction, production related, Port City development etc. to experience a considerable boost”.
As a responsible and a reliable ‘Partner in Progress”, our goal is to be prepared for such an exponential growth to ensure an uninterrupted supply of gases without any adverse impact on national development, he said.
Asked about over capacity in a post pandemic environment Guruge stated “We are looking at the broader goals of our industry. We must provide uninterrupted supply to all our customers, not only the health sector but all of the industries we supply, from ship building to food processing and even our neighborhood welding plants. Any investor will be able to access our industrial gas without an interruption. Hopefully we will be able to provide more in-plant Oxygen supply to more hospitals.”
Industrial Gases (Pvt) Ltd. was established in the year 1992 and subsequently in 1997 was taken over by “Messer Industrial Gases [Pvt] Ltd”, part of Messer GmbH of Germany, a pioneer in the industrial gases business globally, which was again taken over by Mr. Sumith Guruge, the local partner.
With the ownership change in 2007, Industrial Gases (Pvt) Ltd continued to increase their market presence in Sri Lanka. The company is a major supplier of industrial Oxygen, Acetylene, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen servicing many industrial sectors including Manufacturing, Steel Fabrication, Construction, Seafood Processing, Milk and Food Packaging etc.Gas World (Pvt) Ltd was formed in 2011, mainly for the supply of medical Gases to the health sector. The company provides the health sector with ‘on site’ high capacity tanks with piping for bed side delivery as well as portable refill tanks and cylinders. Gas World also caters to the increasing demand of oxygen gas filled mini cylinders for domestic health care services.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
