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Hewage Holdings Ltd. and Hewage Super Market Ltd. Managing Director Jagath Hewage won twice at the Star Award 2018 ceremony organised by the Department of Industrial Development and Enterprise Promotion (DIDEP), Central Province. The first award was in the Large Scale Service Category and the second in the Small Scale, Services Category.
The awards ceremony was held on a grand scale in Kandy under the patronage of Central Province Governor P.B. Disanayaka and Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake.
“Hewage Holdings is the sales agent for many popular companies in the country. The Hewage Super Market is located in Katugastota. We also have Hewage Family Super branches on Colombo Street-Kandy, Wattegama, Lewella, Poojapitiya and Barigama. We opened the first Ekmo 8 to 8 branch in Gunnepana recently. The second branch would be opened by November in Medawela. We also hope to open eight more branches by next year. I am very happy to be recognised and appreciated thus. We need a government level program to uplift businessmen and to provide them with the necessary concessions. Due to delays at the District Secretariat, Local Authorities, Divisional Secretariat, Police, Electricity and Water Boards, it has become difficult to run our businesses in a competitive business environment. At the same time, all businessmen need to be given loans at the same interest rate. Large scale businesses get loans at 14% whilst a small scale one has to take a loan at 16% interest rate; at times it is even higher. Many businesses also suffer due to excessive taxing. When small businessmen do not have to pay VAT, we have to pay the VAT as well as sell the goods at the same price. We need a common taxation system for all businesses in the country,” said Jagath Hewage speaking on the challenges faced when doing business in the country.