400 inventors vie for Presidential Awards
[April 8, 2002 - 11.30 GMT]

The Sri Lanka Inventors Commission has received over 400 applications for this year’s National and Presidential Awards for new inventors. 

Only those who have obtained a Patent from the Registrar of Patents, Sri Lanka for their inventions are qualified to receive Presidential Awards. “Fifty-five new inventors have applied this time under this category. School inventors can compete only for National Awards, unless they have obtained patents”, said Deepika Kahatapitiya, Assistant Programme Officer of the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC).  

“About four-hundred Patents have been granted in 2001,” says Dr. D. M. Karunaratne, Director of the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka. He pointed out the importance of promoting local inventions. “Out of these, only 10% are from local inventors. However, at least one local inventor has won medals at the annual 'World New Innovations' exhibition in Geneva. Therefore, we have to encourage and assist them”, he said. 

The President’s Fund for Inventors and Innovators (PFII) and the Ministry of Finance offers assistance for new inventions and innovations. These institutions have contributed Rs. 100 Mn each and President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has approved loans and grants worth Rs. 40 Mn to 19 inventors. Some of these loans are interest free loans where the interest is paid by the Fund. Recent figures reveal that the Presidential Secretariat has disbursed Rs. 7.1 Mn on inventors and innovators during the year ended March 31, 2002. 

As requested by the Inventors Commission, the PFII has recommended paying patent fees of nine school inventors whose inventions can be commercially beneficial to the country. They were selected from among the 1998 and 1999 National Awards winners.

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Last Updated Date: April 8, 2002  - 11.30 GMT.