Biggies at SL Investment Summit in Singapore

Sri Lanka Inc is set to make its biggest-ever concerted effort to woo Asian investors operating out of Singapore mid this month via a high-profile forum.

Some of the top personalities in the Government and private sector are to be featured in the ‘Sri Lanka Investment Summit – Uncovering Opportunities in Asia’s Rising Gem’ on 15 March in Singapore, organised by Finance Asia and Standard Chartered Bank as lead international sponsor. In the national interest, Daily FT is one of the strategic partners along with a host of others. 

Spearheading the Government presence is Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Public Enterprise Deputy Reform Minister Eran Wickramaratne and Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva, Additionally Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, Board of Investment Director General Duminda Ariyasinghe and Senior Economist and Senior Advisor to the Minister of International Trade Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy will also participate.

Lead sponsors are Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. and Asia Securities Ltd., whilst other strategic partners include the Colombo Stock Exchange, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka, the Singapore-Sri Lanka Business Association and the Oxford Business Group. The Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore is supporting the event as well.

Organisers said close to 250 foreign delegates have registered for the Forum in addition to around 100 Sri Lankan exploring partners or promoting businesses.

Finance Minister Karunanayake will deliver the keynote address focusing on tapping Sri Lanka’s growth potential, followed by a panel discussion centred on Sri Lanka today with Deputy Minister Harsha de SIlva, Dr. Coomaraswamy, Sri Lanka Representative at DEG Geeth Balasuriya and Stax Inc Director Dr. Kumudu Gunasekera. This session will be moderated by Ceylon Chamber Chief Economist Anushka Wijesinha.

Central Bank Governor Mahendran will deliver a presentation on ‘Monetary Policy for Tomorrow’s Sri Lanka’ at the Forum whilst BOI’s Ariyasinghe will speak on ‘Making Sri Lanka the Investment Destination’.

Deputy Minister Wickramaratne will figure in a panel discussion on public-private partnership and their role in Sri Lanka. This session will feature IFC Head of PPP Isabel Chatterton, Colombo Port City Head of Sales and Marketing Liang Thow Ming, JKH Head of New Business Development Waruna Rajapakse and Colombo International Container Terminals GM Commercial and Marketing Tissa Wickramasinghe. It will be moderated by TW Corp Chairman Thilan Wijesinghe.

Other key presenters include Shangri La Group Vice Chairman Madhu Rao and Loadstar Chairman Pierre Pringiers, who will speak on lessons learnt by foreign investors to Sri Lanka.

There will be several panel discussions at the Forum. Among them are on focusing on investment opportunities in Sri Lanka with panellists being Jetwing Chairman Hiran Cooray, Brandix CFO Hasitha Premaratne, UDA Director General Nayana Mawilmada, Maharaja Group Executive Director Nimal Cooke and International Enterprise Singapore South Asia Group Director Benjamin Yap.

Another is a CEO Insights panel discussion featuring Sunshine Holdings Group MD Vish Govindasamy, Singer Sri Lanka Group CEO Asoka Pieris, Ceylon Biscuits Group MD Sheamali Wickremasinghe and Access Group Joint MD Joshua Fernando. This session will be moderated by Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka CEO Jim McCabe.

The Forum in Singapore will also feature opportunities in equity and debt markets with CSE Chairman Vajira Kulatilake among speakers.

Standard Chartered Bank said the event would build on the successes of previous such investment forums organised by FinanceAsia for other countries and is expected to attract business to Sri Lanka. The summit will furnish an opportunity to meet with leading Government officials and top private sector CEOs for a first-hand guide to future developments, and networking with corporations and co-investors.

“Sri Lanka is advantageously positioned right now for business enterprise with an investment-friendly Government, excellent growth potential, and a growing appetite for inbound business projects. This summit will provide an ideal milieu for showcasing and learning how Sri Lanka is positioning itself as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. We are confident that the summit will help potential investors leverage the growing links between Asia and Sri Lanka. We are proud to be associated with such a forum that could only further the national image and economic agenda,” said Jim McCabe, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, who was instrumental in initiating the event with FinanceAsia. 

Details of the summit are available at http://www.srilankainvestmentsummit.com/ and those interested in participating either as speakers or delegates are welcome to contact the representatives from FinanceAsia.