High Commission of Canada hosts 24th AGM of Sri Lanka-Canada Business Council

The High Commission of Canada, as patron of the Sri Lanka Canada Business Council (SLCBC), hosted the 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SLCBC on 21 July. A key stakeholder in strengthening the existing bilateral trade relations between Sri Lanka and Canada, the SLCBC presented an overview of their successes during the past year, as well as strategies for further enhancing trade between the two countries. 

The High Commissioner of Canada Shelley Whiting, speaking at the event elaborated that, “New avenues of engagement have been opened due to changes in the political landscape” and expressed delight at the growing interest shown by Canadian companies across a multitude of sectors to pursue opportunities in Sri Lanka and positive trade developments in 2015. 

The High Commissioner cited the recent agreement signed between the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) of Canada and the Export Development Board (EDB) as an example of the renewed interest and encouraged local companies to reach out to Canadian companies through the High Commission’s trade team in Colombo. 

The AGM was followed by a networking reception for the local business community, stakeholders in the government and international organisations. The keynote address of the evening was delivered by Export Development Board of Sri Lanka Chairman Bandula Egodage. He shared his views on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Sri Lanka to add value for local manufacturing industry thereby benefitting from regional Free Trade Agreements (FTA). 

The membership of the council includes close to 60 companies across diverse sectors such as logistics and tourism, imports, exports, manufacturing and services amongst many others. The primary focus of the council is to promote trade between Sri Lanka and Canada, encourage partnerships and the exchange of information between the two countries as well as promote investments. The Business Council also engages with partner organisations in Canada to promote the socio-economic conditions in Sri Lanka.