Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce holds 40th AGM

Committee of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council for the year 2019-2020. Seated from left: Colombage Sarath De Costa, Sylvester Merrick Gooneratne, Mahen Dayananda, Akira Sugiyama, Tissa Jayaweera and Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya

Standing from left: Julianne Boulton, Mohan Mendis, Sagara Gunawardana, Mahen Kariyawasan, Shamil Mendis, Dinesh Saparamadu, Sagara Peiris, Rohitha Mendis and Athulla Edirisinghe

Absent: Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa, Deshamanya Deva Rodrigo and Andre Fernando

The 40th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently. 

The Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council was set up in 1979 as the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Co-operation Committee (SLJBCC) by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, following a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japan – Sri Lanka Business Co-operation Committee (JSLBCC) of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). 

The SLJBC is the first bilateral business council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The main objective of the Business Council shall be the promotion of trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and Japan, and facilitating investment. 

Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama, who is also the Patron of the Council was the Chief Guest at the AGM. He expressed the most profound grief on the demise of Council former President Daya Weththasinghe, while also informing members of the current state of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Japan, and also ways in which bilateral business relations could be enhanced between the two countries. 

Council Acting President Mahen Dayananda was elected by the members as the President of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council for the year 2019-2020. Tissa Jayaweera – TJ Associates, Colombage Sarath De Costa – Amano Lanka Engineering Ltd., Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya – Midaya Ceramic Co. Ltd., Sylvester Merrick Gooneratne – TOS Lanka Company Ltd. and Mahen Kariyawasan – Andrew The Travel Company Ltd. were appointed as Vice Presidents for the year 2019-2020. 

Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa and Deshamanya Deva Rodrigo will continue to serve on the Committee as Advisers during the year 2019-2020. The members Hayleys Advantis Ltd., Heritage Teas Ltd., Hirohama Ceylon Ltd., hsenid Software International Ltd., MAC Holdings Ltd., Prudential Shipping Lines Ltd., Spear International Ltd. and Venora International Projects Ltd. were elected to the Committee for the year 2019-2020.

The AGM concluded with a special tribute to late Daya Weththasinghe for his life and work, especially his contribution to the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council as its President. Merrick Gooneratne made a speech of appreciation, which was followed by the presentation of a token of appreciation by Akira Sugiyama for the services rendered by Daya Weththasinghe to the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council to his wife Pearl Weththasinghe.

Companies interested in joining the membership of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council may contact Julianne at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to obtain further information.