Nihal Hettiarachchi & Co. hosts HLB International Asia Pacific Regional Conference delegates

Nihal Hettiarachchi and Company, a leading chartered accountants firm, in affiliation with HLB International, London, is this week hosting the ‘HLB International Asia Pacific Regional Conference’ under the theme ‘Excellence through Unity’.

Conducted between 14 and 17 June at Shangri-la Hotel, Colombo, the Conference will give the visiting delegates a preview of Sri Lankan culture through dance acts which included numerous cultural expressions that reflected the island’s history through human creativity.

The conference includes a thought-provoking line-up of speakers, highlighted by experts and noted figures in the industry. The Chief Guest, State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha De Silva spoke at the inauguration dinner on the future development plans for Sri Lanka.

The Conference brings together top advisors, industry experts and financial service providers to share best practices and latest concepts in the finance industry. It provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to network with international thought leaders from across the industry. The event also provides a platform to learn about industry-wide best practices, learn from one another and stay abreast of the latest industry developments.

HLB Asia Pacific Chairman Terry Blenkinsop and CEO Marco Donzelli are among those present.

Nihal Hettiarachchi and Co. Sri Lanka Managing Partner Dinuk Hettiarachchi said: “The Silk Route can be traced back to historical times when land and sea routes between China and Europe were vibrant with trade and commerce in which Sri Lanka too played an active role and benefitted by this valuable exchange. The Asia Pacific Regional Conference too will help Sri Lanka gain profitably from the regional knowledge sharing, which will have a positive impact on the business sector.”

On Friday, State Minister of Finance and Mass Media Eran Wickramaratne will enlighten delegates with a keynote titled ‘Navigating through Uncertainties for Sustainable Growth’ whilst HNB Managing Director Jonathan Alles will make a presentation titled ‘Doing Business in Sri Lank and Boosting Linkages with Asia Pacific’.

Saturday’s conference proceedings will include a panel discussion focusing on ‘Cross-border Investment –Transforming Challenges into Opportunities’ with panellists being Spa Ceylon Co-Founder and Marketing Director Shalin Balasooriya, Orange Electrical Group of Companies Managing Director Kushan Kodituwakku, Laugfs Gas Plc Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Ley Choon Group Holdings Ltd. Singapore Chief Financial Officer Goh Seng Huat Daniel and China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. Finance Controller Gao Xiaoping.

On Saturday Central Bank Senior Assistant Director Pavithri Vithange will speak to the delegates on ‘Out with the controls – let in freedom: Relaxing foreign exchange transactions to facilitate business opportunities in Sri Lanka’. Cybersecurity Systems Group Deputy President and ST Electronics (Info-Security) Ltd. General Manager Goh Eng Choon will speak on ‘Cybersecurity and the Insider Threat in Digitization’. Dialog Axiata Plc Group CEO Supun Weerasinghe will speak on ‘New Trend of Mobile Communication in Asia’.

The conference also includes a presentation titled ‘Building a World Class City for South Asia –Introduction to Colombo International Financial Centre’ by Port City Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Liang Thow Ming.

Nihal Hettiarachchi and Company, a leading firm of chartered accountants in Sri Lanka was established in 1984. The firm together with six partners, brings together a unique combination of multi-disciplinary experience and expertise in Audit and Assurance and Advisory and Tax services, Business Process Outsourcing and Human Resource Development to national and global businesses. Having linked up with HLB International – a world-wide network of independent accounting firms and business, the firm is able to enhance its services to its local and global clients. The company has a team of approximately 150 well-trained staff from highly technical backgrounds, who blend well with a unique focus on supporting their client portfolio with professional advice that integrates tax solutions with financial services. Furthermore, the firm was recently awarded the ‘Audit Firm of the Year – Medium Category – 2016’ by South Asia Partnership Summit and Business Awards.