The Association of International Standards (AIS) will conduct the ISO 9000 consultants training programme from September 15 to December 15 and will be limited to 25 participants.

The ISO 9000 Consultant Training Programme will be held for the 3rd consecutive year and will be a boon to organisiations seeking to implement ISO 9000 systems in their respective organisations or those individuals who wish to pursue a career in Quality Systems Consultancy.

It was in 1996 and 1997 that — Technological Initiative for the Private Sector (TIPS) first conducted two programmes for local professionals to become ISO 9000 consultants. A group of these professionals formed the AIS and their prime aim is to further enhance the ISO 9000 professional domain. "TIPS has worked with AIS in the past and has all the confidence that AIS would conduct the forthcoming ISO 9000 training programme effectively in keeping with our objectives", said Fayaz Saleem, President AIS. Spence King, Chief Executive Officer TIPS said that ISO certificate can be used to increase productivity and is an ideal marketing tool. "You do not have to have magical things to receive the ISO certificate. You only have to up grade what you do", he said.

"TIPS will no longer provide "One Off Transactional Grants" to all eligible Sri Lankan companies which meet TIPS prior criteria. Henceforth TIPS will focus on "Policy and Advocacy" issues concerning broad based impact", he added.

Stefans Moraes Vice President AIS said that foreign experts were brought down for the first two programmes and over 45 senior and junior executives were put through an intensive course of studies.

"Those who successfully completed the course had the opportunity of either implementing ISO 9000 systems and standards in their own organisation or perhaps venture out as a Consultant in implementing ISO 9000 systems in other organisations as a profession", he said.

The Association of International Standards in Sri Lanka now better known as AIS was the brainchild of Dr. Donald Hoslten and with the blessings and consensus of Mr. Spencer King CEO of TIPS, mooted the idea amongst participants of both courses of study. They both felt that Sri Lanka needed a strong vibrant body to lobby with the Government, Public Sector and Private Sector for enhancing the quality of products and services to be competitive locally as well as globally. They also felt that an Association such as AIS would become a catalyst to organisations seeking to implement ISO 9000 systems in their Organisations by assisting and guiding them. Furthermore they felt that AIS can help in maintaining and fostering good professional practice in the implementation of quality standards and AIS be granted funds to promote the culture of quality in Sri Lanka and organise and conduct training programmes/ workshops and conferences related to quality.

The DFCC takeover

As a sharcholder of Lanka ventures ltd., I have read with great interest the articles referring to this topic that have appeared in the press recently, and I believe that the DFCC is misleading the public for their own financial gain at our expense.

I purchased some shares of Lanka Ventures Ltd., in 1995 with a part of my savings at Rs. 20 per share. At that time and over the next two years the outlook for the company was favourable given the country's economic situation, and I could not help feeling some surprise when I learnt last year that the DFCC had taken over the management of the company and were doing some major retructuring because they felt it was not profitable. I was plunged into further confusion when in June 1998 the DFCC announced that they had taken over Lanka Ventures in order to restore its profitable reputation and now wished to purchase the remaining shares held by myself and others at the ridiculously low offer price of Rs. 4. I may not be fluent in the language of corporate business but even to a layman such as myself this scheme reeks of trickery, aspecially since it is common knowledge that the cash value alone of the share is Rs. 10.

I hope that the SEC will conduct a full and fair investigation into this matter so that we are not taken for a ride again by such so-called prestigious institutions.

Mrs. L. de Silva,
Ratmalana.

Fabric inspection course

Textile Training & Services Centre - Ratmalana, during recent past commenced a programme titled "Fabric Inspection" for staff involved in Fabric/Garment Inspection and the response for the programme was very encouraging especially among garment industries. This programme is conducted at clients premises as well as at the centre. The duration of the course was Four (4) days.

The syllabus for the programme included introduction to different types of fabrics, Woven/knitted fabric parameters, and methods of determining parameters, identification & classification of defects. Sample selection including AQL method, grading systems in general, 10 point and 4 point systems in detail, introduction to inspection sheets, demonstration fabric inspection using 10 point and 4 point systems, interpretation of grading results, evaluation etc.