Rishad, Deputy pop 2014 with ‘FMCG hampers’

Saturday, 11 January 2014 11:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Well-meaning Lankan industrialists behind employee incentive
A better package!’: Ministry Employee

The Industry and Commerce Ministry kicked-off its 2014 sessions with a difference. Employees of the Ministry were the lucky recipients of an unusual event as 2014 sessions popped on 7 January with an unusual seasonal hamper. Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen distributed more than 300 hampers that contained not festive items but essential household provisions to more than 300 employees of the Ministry on 7 January at the Ministry premises in Colombo 3.

With Minister Bathiudeen were Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Lakshman Wasantha Perera and Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary Anura Siriwardena, who organised the effort. Each FMCG package of provisions is valued at upwards Rs. 3,500 and covers essential items needed for a household. It provides provisions sufficient for a basic family unit to last for several days. The packages (the ‘Badu Malla,’ as the recipients promptly called it) were distributed by Minister Bathiudeen, Deputy Minister Perera and Secretary Siriwardena to staff of all ranks. Among the contents of the package were almost 20 different household consumable items. The contents (all of which were FMCG) have not been provided at Ministry’s expense but sponsored by keen and well-meaning Lankan industrialists and their firms. Ministry employees were excited on the sudden lottery and were thankful. “This is a great initiative,” voiced an employee in the Ministry’s Administrative branch, who is also a father. “Last year we received a gift voucher. We start 2014 with a much better package,” he added, with a broad smile. Bundled along with each hamper was a large 2014 wall calendar.