Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council holds 28th AGM

The 28th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC) was held recently, with High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka and Maldives Paul Stephens and High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka and Maldives Michael Appleton gracing the occasion as Chief Guests.

In a significant move South Asia Gateway Terminals Senior Manager, Commercial/Marketing Udara Cumaratunga was elected as the first female President of SLANZBC, while hSenid Business Solutions CEO/Director Sampath Jayasundara, and Universal College Lanka Dean Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni were elected Vice-Presidents for 2023/24, with Jiffy Products S.L. Managing Director Ruwan Rajapakse serving as the Immediate Past President

Cumaratunga outlined her vision for the upcoming year, aiming to provide a platform for new business ventures, encourage trade delegations, and work closely with respective trade missions to build stronger and broader industry engagements. She also emphasised the importance of collaboration between Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand in various sectors, including trade, services, tourism, education, and agriculture, highlighting the significant potential for growth given their geographic uniqueness as island nations.

She expressed her commitment to strengthen existing connections and expand trade engagement in various sectors, including educational services, tourism, Indian-ocean economic cooperation, people-to-people links, dairy, fresh fruit, tea, sports, agriculture, rubber, and ready-made garments.

Committee Members 2023/24: Air Global Gerard Victoria, ASL Logistics CMB Denver De Livera, CMA-CGM Lanka Kingsley Abeywickrema, E.C.D. Global Emil Kronemberg, Fonterra Brands Lanka Fazlan Faizal, Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Jayanthi Dharmasena, Island Leisure Lanka Chandana Amaradasa, Lidechsi Group Lionel De Silva, Millers Delano Dias and Spillburg Holdings M.H.K.M. Hameez.

SLANZBC is a platform that aims to promote trade, services, and tourism between Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand.