Large number of Omani firms to participate in World Export Development Forum in Sri Lanka

A large number of Omani companies are expected to take part in the World Export Development Forum (WEDF), the flagship event of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC), to be held in the Sri Lankan capital in October, the Times of Oman reported.

WEDF 2016, co-hosted by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade of Sri Lanka through the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), will be held from 12-13 October 2016 in Colombo.

Hiruni Rajapakse, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman, said in a statement that several companies had confirmed their participation in this event in Colombo. “Moreover, we have requested the Oman Chamber of Commerce to disseminate the information among the companies,” she was quoted as saying.

“Convening this gathering of the global trade and development community and business representatives in Colombo will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the best of Sri Lanka and allow us to talk business and do business,” she said.

Recently, a large number of Omanis had visited Sri Lanka, keen to invest in property, infrastructure development and the farming sector.

Anselm Perera, the CEO of Business Process Outsourcing Services LLC (BPOS) Oman, who was a part of the delegation to Sri Lanka, said the South Asian country was turning out to be a good place for investors after the civil war ended on 18 May 2009. “Since then, we have seen a surge of investors from all around the globe,” he said recently.

Besides investing in farming, Omanis are also buying property in Sri Lanka. “The Omani delegation which recently visited Sri Lanka also held discussions with representatives of the reputed high-rise residential development Altair to buy apartments,” Perera said.

WEDF brings together over 600 business leaders, policymakers, heads of trade and investment support institutions and international trade development officials to address international competitiveness for developing countries.

WEDF 2016 is themed ‘Trade for Success: Compete, Connect, Change’ and reflects the importance attached by both the Sri Lankan Government and ITC over the role of the private sector in growth, trade and job creation. WEDF 2016 will also feature focused B2Bs among participating corporates and businesses from Sri Lanka and abroad.

In Sri Lanka and elsewhere, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the economy, representing over 90% of all businesses and contributing to two-thirds of global employment.

Previous editions of WEDF have been held in Doha, Qatar (2015), Kigali, Rwanda (2014), Jakarta, Indonesia (2012), Istanbul, Turkey (2011) and Chongqing, China (2010).