Dear Members,

It’s with pleasure that I bring this message during this festive month of December in the midst of hope and expectations of yet another new year. Looking back, year 2014 marked perhaps the most significant achievement for the institution in the international arena, becoming a signatory to the Washington Accord and successfully retaining its membership in the International Professional Engineers Agreement which are two internationally recognized agreements for mutual recognition of engineering education and practice respectively. Together they marked a giant step for the institution in its mission to be the apex national body of engineers in Sri Lanka which ensures internationally recognized and locally relevant standards in the professional practice and education in engineering, while actively supporting national development and diligently serving its members and the society at large. If achieving them were challenges of the year in 2014, maintaining those statuses would be a more difficult challenge for the coming years, and especially in the 2014 / 2015 session.

The year 2014 also saw the IESL extending its global reach establishing overseas chapters in Western Australia, New Zealand and Qatar in quick succession responding to the demands of its globally dispersed membership. As you know the IESL NSW Chapter in Australia established in 2009 is already doing yeoman service towards the professional development of engineers of Sri Lankan origin domiciled in Australia.

In the local arena,  during the year , due recognition has been given to IESL members along with the other professionals in the recently passed Act on Construction Industry Development and the president of the IESL appointed as a member in the National Advisory Council on Construction. Furthermore, the IESLeffort to make the Engineering Council Act passed in to law showed progress. The Final Draft of the  Act had been prepared and the Hon.  Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities along with Hon. Minister of Power and Energy jointly submitted a cabinet paper for approval and hopefully the related Act will be passed in the coming months of the new  year after the dust  settles in the current political situation.

Meanwhile strengthening its reach-out to its members within Sri Lanka the IESL Rajarata Chapter became the first of the eight provincial chapters of the IESL to have its own building facility. I had the honour of declaring open its new office premises at No.55 Puttalam Road, Pandulagama, Anuradhapura, completed under the first phase of construction. Further, two new IESL District Centres, one in Nuwara Eliya and the other in Puttalam were also established in the year.

The image boost that we received, both here and abroad through these achievements has raised expectations among all stakeholders of very high level of performance, better or improved service and enhanced benefits from the IESL. It is to deliver these expectations that I have embarked on strategies for service excellence, productivity improvements through enhanced use of ICT and an outreach drive to embrace senior engineers who are still outside the  influence of the IESL and whose knowledge and expertise could benefit the IESL. The three Task Forces appointed to develop strategies are already on the job. The membership management system introduced in 2012 / 2013 session has proved to be an effective tool in boosting the capacities of many functions of the Secretariat and I have no doubt it will be even more effective with the technological enhancement I hope to introduce during my tenure.

Therefore, while wishing our members and their families a bright and prosperous new year I invite their cooperation and support to implement the strategies I have planned to introduce during the new year, that would enable the higher level of performance, better or improved services and enhanced benefits from the IESL. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all.

Thank you!

Eng. (Dr.) S.B. Wijekoon
President