16 key private sector leaders come together to support food security efforts

Pvt Sector Leaders along with Representatives from the UN engaging at the meeting 

• UNDP and Brandix encourage more private sector engagement 

The private sector in Sri Lanka has historically played a key role in providing support to humanitarian efforts; rebuilding from the devastating effects of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, seasonal floods, tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, supporting socio-economic recovery for the most vulnerable communities in the country. 

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sri Lanka recently launched a Facility to enable interested private sector organisations to partner and contribute towards procurement of urgent medical supplies and address food security needs with Hemas Holdings PLC, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Brandix Apparel Ltd. and Daraz Sri Lanka coming on board to pledge their commitment.

Building on this momentum and to encourage further collaboration, a meeting was held yesterday morning with the engagement of high-level representatives from the private sector including;  MAS Holdings Co-founder and Chairman Mahesh Amalean;  Softlogic Holdings PLC Chairman/Managing Director Ashok Pathirage; Hemas Holdings PLC Executive Director/Group CEO Kasthuri Chellarajah Wilson; Hirdaramani Group of Companies Chairman Mahesh Hirdaramani; Ceylon Biscuits Ltd. Group Managing Director Shea Wickramasinghe; United Nations Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Executive Director Rathika de Silva; Citi Sri Lanka Managing Director - Citi Country Officer/Country Head Ravin Basnayake; Akbar Brothers Managing Director Tyeab Akbarally; Hela Apparel Holdings Group CEO Dilanka Jinadasa; HSBC Sri Lanka CEO Mark Surgenor; Amana Bank PLC Vice President – Strategy Management and Sustainability Fazly Marikar; Standard Chartered Bank CEO Sri Lanka/Head of CCIB Client Coverage Bingumal Thewarathanthri; Daraz (Alibaba Group) Managing Director Rakhil Fernando; John Keells Holdings PLC President, Executive Vice President, Head - Legal and Secretarial Nadija Tambiah; Virtusa Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific Naresha Supramaniam; and Platinum Realty Investments Managing Director/CEO Kishore D. Reddy. 

Co-chaired by Brandix Apparel Ltd. Group CEO Ashroff Omar, the meeting provided a platform for key private sector partners to share notes on the present situation pertaining to food security and crisis support-related engagements, while encouraging collaboration with the Facility, to rally together to support Sri Lanka during this critical time. 

The meeting was co-chaired by UNDP in Sri Lanka Officer-in-Charge Malin Herwig. The discussion also saw the engagement of  Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, and UNDP Policy Specialist and Team Leader – Policy and Engagement Team Fadhil Bakeer Markar.