Jaffna International Trade Fair showcases development potential in Sri Lanka’s northern exports sector
Government Agent of Sri Lanka’s Jaffna District, N. Vethanayahan has reportedly called for the Kankasanthurai (KKS) harbour and northern airport to be developed to enable business and trade progress in the northern region.
The Government Agent had made this observation at the 10th Jaffna International Trade Fair (JITF) was held last week.
The JITF reportedly attracts around 60,000 visitors annually with over 2,500 products on display and sale.
The Jaffna Government Agent, who was the chief guest at the event, had hailed the efforts of the trade fair organisers, Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services Ltd. and Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam (CCIY) for managing to carry out this event, currently the biggest trade event in the north, consecutively for 10 years.
This year’s JITF was themed ‘The Gateway to the North’ and was held at the Jaffna Municipal Council grounds until Sunday (27).
Among the highlights of the launch of the 2019 edition of the JITF was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) and the CCIY for the formal training of northern youth in international trade and export. The agreement was signed between NCE Secretary General Shiham Marikar and CCIY President K. Vignesh.
The signing of the agreement is aimed at boosting the export sector of Jaffna, the NCE Secretary General had said.
Meanwhile, the CCIY President in his address had hailed JITF as an event that exposes the northern region to the trends in business and industry in the rest of the country and world.
“Sri Lanka is currently facing economic challenges and in this backdrop this event greatly helps in boosting exposure of the north to the rest of Sri Lanka and the world. The north needs Foreign Direct Investment. The northern region has faced hard times owing to the war and we wish to collectively work together with the rest of the country and globally, to improve trade and business prospects,” Vignesh had said.
OSL take:
Following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, a new area for business/investment has opened up for foreign businesses to venture into. The Sri Lankan government’s decision to develop the Palaly Airport in the North to regional standards along with the KKS port would make the northern peninsula an ideal business/investment location for the discerning foreign investor to set up operations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/28012019/Z_5 |