Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council Charts Path for 2024-25 with New Leadership and Enhanced Regional Collaboration

The 13th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka - Greater Mekong Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently, at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The event was graced by Her Excellency Daw Marlar Than Htaik, Ambassador of Myanmar, Her Excellency Trinh Thi Tam, Ambassador of Vietnam, and Ms. Prangtip Kongrittisuksakon, Counselor of Thailand, with Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Export Development Board (EDB) attending as the Guest Speaker.

Her Excellency Trinh Thi Tam, Ambassador of Vietnam, addressing the gathering mentioned how Sri Lanka and Viet Nam share many similarities in history, geography, and culture. She highlighted opportunities in key sectors for development, including textiles, agriculture, fisheries, food processing, logistics infrastructure (airports and seaports), and tourism. She also said that The Sri Lanka - Greater Mekong Business Council and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce have been pivotal in connecting and strengthening business relations between the two countries. Further she mentioned that The Embassy of Viet Nam in Sri Lanka is committed to supporting businessmen in both countries, providing information on potential business and investment opportunities and as business cooperative activities, and invited businesses in Sri Lanka to leverage these opportunities.

Her Excellency Daw Marlar Than Htaik, Ambassador of Myanmar, during her remarks, highlighted growing opportunities in Myanmar in sectors such as trade, investment, and tourism, to expand their businesses and develop bilateral trade and relations. She highlighted that being tropical countries with similar climate, Myanmar is keen to engage in knowledge exchange with Sri Lanka, particularly focusing on modern farming techniques and food processing.

Ms. Prangtip Kongridhisuksakorn, Counsellor, Royal Thai Embassy, in her remarks mentioned that the signing of the Sri Lanka – Thailand FTA is a new milestone in long-standing relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka. The two countries may exchange products that are in need and that increase options to benefit the peoples. Thailand is focusing on clean technology, agro-processing and bio-based activities, smart electronics, medical and wellness, digital, as well as creative sectors, all of which offer significant opportunities. She encouraged Thailand and Sri Lanka to join hands in bringing ancient and traditional wisdoms, combined with appropriate science and technology, to enhance sustainability and people’s well-being. To do this, the Royal Thai Embassy, in collaboration with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is organizing an activity entitled “Business Opportunities between Thailand and Sri Lanka: Food, Agriculture and Health for Sustainable Prosperity and Well-being” to be held during 2 - 6 February 2025 in Thailand.

Mr. Nimal Ratnayake, Chief Marketing Officer of Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC, was elected as the President for the year 2024-2025 by the Members. In his address, he shared his vision for the future: “Over the past year, the Sri Lanka Greater Mekong Business Council has made significant strides in strengthening our relationships with ASEAN nations, particularly with Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

“As we all know, the Greater Mekong region is a dynamic and rapidly growing economic hub. As part of the ASEAN community, these nations represent one of the largest economic powerhouses in the world, forming the fifth-largest economy globally and the third-largest trade bloc, following the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. With its diverse cultures, strategic locations, and untapped potential, it presents vast opportunities for collaboration and investment. As the Sri Lanka Greater Mekong Business Council, our mission is to serve as the bridge that connects these opportunities with the expertise, resources, and vision of Sri Lanka’s business community. Thank you for your trust, and let’s embark on this exciting journey of opportunity and collaboration.”

Mr. Tilak Goonawardane, Director/ Chief Financial Officer, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and Mr. Shameel Mohideen, Chief Executive Officer, Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd were elected as Vice Presidents. Member companies, Advantis Projects and Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, ASL Logistics CMB Pvt Ltd, Advantis Freight Pvt Ltd, OpenArc Systems Management Pvt Ltd, and Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd were elected to the committee. Mr. S.M.D. Suriyakumara of Maliban Bioventures Ltd, Mr. Ranil Seneviratne of Ranfer Teas (Pvt) Ltd, and Mr. Mahen Weerasekera of Capital Developers Ltd were appointed as Honorary Members to the committee.

The SLGMBC is dedicated to strengthening trade, investment, and tourism relationships between Sri Lanka and Greater Mekong nations, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The Council maintains strong diplomatic ties with Greater Mekong missions in Sri Lanka.

For further details regarding membership of the Council, please contact the Secretariat of the Sri Lanka – Greater Mekong Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, No. 50, Navam Mawatha, Colombo 2. E-mail: [email protected] or Tel.: 011 5588829/ 5588800.