Ceylon Chamber of Commerce holds crucial economic policy debate on Thursday

Tuesday, 27 August 2024 02:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has announced that, in the lead-up to the Presidential election, it will host Sri Lanka’s first-ever debate on economic policy featuring the leading economic policy experts nominated by the four main Presidential candidates.

‘Defining the Vision – THE Debate’ is set to take place on 29 August at 9 a.m. at the BMICH. Moderated by The Ceylon Chamber Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa and Board Member Kasturi Chellaraja, the debate will feature Shehan Semasinghe representing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Dr. Harsha de Silva representing Sajith Premadasa, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma representing Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and Prof. Ranjith Bandara representing Namal Rajapaksa.

This debate comes at a crucial time when the nation faces unparalleled economic challenges, and the need for a stable and sustainable economy has never been more urgent. There is a growing call for clarity on the candidates’ economic strategies across the country, from business leaders and professionals to academics and civil society. Voters seek to understand not only who they are casting their votes for, but also the policies and plans they are endorsing.

The Ceylon Chamber has for decades been at the forefront of advocacy, engaging with policymakers at the highest levels to drive critical economic reforms. In the lead-up to the recent economic crisis, The Ceylon Chamber was actively engaging with political parties, urging reforms to avert disaster. In the aftermath, it continued its efforts, collaborating with policymakers to implement necessary reforms related to taxation, independence of the Central Bank, energy reforms, digital ID, and improving market access through Free Trade Agreements.

As the premier representative of the country’s private sector, and the leading Business Chamber, The Ceylon Chamber was also the first to engage with the leading Presidential candidates, providing the candidates with direct access to the key drivers of Sri Lanka’s economy, ensuring that the private sector’s voice was heard in shaping future economic policies. These engagements also provided an opportunity to generate a consensus among all political parties for the reform agenda.

The Ceylon Chamber is thankful to the four presidential candidates for accepting its invitation and nominating their leading economic policy experts to represent them in this debate.

Registrations to attend the debate are now open. Please contact Alikie on 0777508955 /[email protected] for more information.