Ceylon Chamber Chief urges public and private to unite as catalysts for change

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa addresses inauguration of Sri Lanka Economic Summit last night 

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa last night urged the public and private sector to unite and be catalysts for change.

Speaking at the inauguration of the CCC organised 2025 Sri Lanka Economic Summit, Hulangamuwa said: “I hope this summit will inspire private and public sector leaders to unite as catalysts for change, becoming reform champions and agents of progress that our future demands.”

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was the Chief Guest at the inauguration attended by over 700 people.

Hulangamuwa said the Sri Lanka Economic Summit is one of the most anticipated economic events on the corporate calendar, and it is CCC’s privilege to continue to host this event for the 24th consecutive year since its commencement in 2000. 

This year the theme of the event is “Shaping Sri Lanka’s Future: Transformational Growth Rooted in Sound Economic Policies”. It will conclude today at the Shangri-La Colombo.

“After two years of economic contraction in 2022 and 2023, we have seen a rebound in growth during 2024. With political stability, completion of debt restructuring and sovereign credit rating upgrade we have to plan for transformational growth similar to how we have seen in countries like Southeast Asia. 2025 is a good year to lay the groundwork for a decade of sustainable and inclusive economic progress, beginning in 2025,” said Hulangamuwa.

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The summit will spotlight key growth drivers and sectors with the potential to propel transformational economic progress. It will feature international speakers of country case studies of South Korea, Thailand and India to name a few to understand what lessons Sri Lanka can take forward in the reform process. 

Hulangamuwa said the Ceylon Chamber operates on a three pillar strategy of policy advocacy, engagement and market access. “In this summit we want to build consensus on economic reform and provide ideas and solutions for the Government to take forward,” he added.

The Ceylon Chamber has brought together a formidable line-up of 34 renowned international and national experts, complemented by high-level representatives from Government bodies, multinational agencies, finance, consulting, and leading think-tanks to name a few. We are privileged to have Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, speaking on the digital roadmap tomorrow morning. The need of the hour is to attract private investment which is export led within a tight fiscal environment. This will be explored in session 2. Our breakout sessions focus on the three sectors we expect to drive this transformational growth: Agriculture, Tourism and Value-added export manufacturing sector. We look forward to hearing the policy direction of the Government from the Secretaries and Deputy Ministry of Tourism. The final session we hope will bring together all the ideas generated from the summit with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Finance, Industry and Development and heads of the Export and Investment Boards. 

Hulangamuwa expressed the hope that Summit’s outcomes will pave the way for impactful policies to unlock the transformational growth the economy urgently needs. “I also hope this summit will inspire private and public sector leaders to unite as catalysts for change, becoming reform champions and agents of progress that our future demands,” he added.