The 29th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Australia – New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently, with His Excellency Paul Stephens, High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka, and His Excellency David Pine, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka & Maldives, in attendance as Chief Guests.
Ms. Udara Cumaratunga, Senior Manager, Commercial & Marketing at South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd, was re-elected as President of the Council for 2024/25. Vice-Presidents elected for 2024/25 include Mr. Chandana Amaradasa, Managing Director of Island Leisure Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. M H K M Hameez, Managing Director of Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. Lionel D C Silva, Chairman of Lidechsi Group of Companies; and Ms. Jayanthi Dharmasena, Managing Director of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd. Mr. Ruwan Rajapakse, Managing Director of Jiffy Products SL will continue to serve the committee as Immediate Past President.
The newly appointed committee for the year 2024/25 consists of representatives from Abans PLC, ABC Pharma Services (Pvt) Ltd, AG International (Pvt) Ltd, ASL Logistics CMB Pvt Ltd, CMA CGM Lanka Pvt Ltd, Fonterra Brands Lanka Pvt Ltd, Gnanam Imports (Pvt) Ltd, Infomate Private Limited, MIT Global Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, Nelna Agri Development and Qantas Airways LTD.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Cumaratunga highlighted the contributions of the two partner nations to uplift Sri Lanka during the economic crisis.
Ms. Cumaratunga shared her vision for the upcoming year, focusing on providing a robust platform for new business ventures, encouraging trade delegations, and fostering close cooperation with trade missions. She emphasized the strategic importance of collaboration between Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand across various sectors, including trade, services, tourism, education, and agriculture highlighting the significant potential for growth.
Expressing her commitment to strengthen existing connections, Ms. Cumaratunga said the Council aims to expand trade engagements and enhance industry ties among Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand.
SLANZBC serves as a vital platform promoting trade, services, and tourism between Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand. The Council’s efforts are geared towards building stronger industry engagements, exploring new business opportunities, and facilitating greater collaboration among these three nations to unlock their combined potential.