Sri Lanka’s changing investment landscape set for analysis in 2017 report

Friday, 20 January 2017 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka’s efforts to boost capital inflows through the gradual liberalisation of its trade and investment laws will be explored in a forthcoming report by the global publishing firm Oxford Business Group (OBG).

The Report: Sri Lanka 2017 will look in detail at what the country’s capital markets sector is doing to prepare for an era of higher investment. Key developments set for analysis include a drive under way to modernise the industry and the emergence of new private equity groups on the scene.

OBG’s report will also consider the economic challenges that Sri Lanka currently faces, led by rising debt levels and balance of payment issues.

First Capital Holdings PLC has signed a second memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OBG for the publishing firm’s forthcoming report on the country. Under the MOU, the investment bank will team up with OBG once again to compile and produce the capital markets chapter of The Report: Sri Lanka 2017.

Dilshan Wirasekara, Group CEO, First Capital Holdings PLC, said he was confident that OBG’s 2017 report would play a pivotal part in highlighting the opportunities emerging across Sri Lanka’s economy to investors keen to tap into the country’s post-war economic expansion.

“Initiatives such as Oxford Business Group’s reports are helping to meet growing demand for up-to-date, accurate information on Sri Lanka at a time when efforts to attract new foreign investment for projects are gaining pace,” he said. “I look forward to partnering with the Group’s team and once again contributing to what is undoubtedly a valuable global research tool.”

Welcoming First Capital Holdings on board, Andrea Tsiachtsiri, OBG’s Country Director, agreed that the rolling out of big-ticket, capital projects, such as Colombo Port City and Megapolis, had heightened the need to keep business leaders updated on developments in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka’s Government will be looking to its project pipeline to help ensure that future growth is broader and more inclusive,” she said. “First Capital has been a key player on Sri Lanka’s financial services industry for over 30 years, giving its experts an in-depth knowledge of the country’s capital markets and investment banking spectrum. I’m thrilled that our readers will once again benefit from its team’s input.”

The Report: Sri Lanka 2017 will be a vital guide to the many facets of the country, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments. The publication will also contain interviews with leading representatives, including President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. It will be available in print and online.