Sri Lankan envoy meets with Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Daily FT: High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Malaysia Air Chief Marshal (Rtd.) Sumangala Dias engaged in a productive meeting with the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KLSICCI) at the High Commission on 26 July.
The meeting was held with the participation of President Nivas Ragavan and other key office bearers of the KLSICCI, focusing on the enhancement of bilateral trade, investment, tourism, and employment opportunities for Sri Lanka.
During the meeting, High Commissioner Sumangala Dias emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to address the current trade imbalance. He highlighted the need to bolster Sri Lankan exports to Malaysia and to promote Sri Lanka as a significant outbound tourism destination for Malaysians. Ragavan expressed the Chamber’s commitment to facilitating connections between Sri Lankan retail businesses and the Malaysian market.
The High Commissioner discussed plans to disseminate information on the Ramayana Trail, spiritual tourism to Sri Lanka and connecting cultural bonds through people-to people contacts. Further, the High Commissioner briefed the delegation on the investment opportunities available for Malaysian investors in the Colombo Port City project. The KLSICCI expressed a keen interest in organising a business delegation to Sri Lanka in the future to explore these opportunities and further integrate Sri Lankan products into the Malaysian market.
This meeting marked a significant step towards strengthening the economic and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Malaysia, fostering mutual bilateral growth and development.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic activities and overall economic expansion have opened up many business/investment opportunities. Sri Lankan authorities have also initiated several programmes to attract more foreign direct investments to the country. Apart from Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment (BOI), business chambers and other related state institutions, the Sri Lankan government has also assigned the country’s envoys overseas to promote the opportunities in Sri Lanka and attract foreign investments to the country. Sri Lanka’s economic resilience and its quick recovery from the economic crisis also serve as confidence boosters for foreign businesses/investors to explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. The country’s strategic positioning in the Indian Ocean, the strong trade ties as well as the incentive schemes presented by the Sri Lankan government have also added to Sri Lanka’s attraction as an emerging business destination in the South Asian region. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore the growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka given the country’s growth and business potential.