Webinar on opportunities for joint collaborations with New Zealand

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in association with the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council and the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) will be organising a webinar on “New Zealand - Current Business and Education Environment, Trends and Opportunities for Joint Collaborations” on 29 July at 11.00 a.m. Sri Lanka time. The main objective of this joint initiative is to enlighten the business community in Sri Lanka on change of business environment due to COVID-19 trends, opportunities for joint collaborations between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and plans of the New Zealand High Commission scheduled to be established in Sri Lanka in 2020.

Coverage and Resource Persons include: 

• “NZ economy, impact of COVID-19 and export plans, new High Commission plans for Sri Lanka, upcoming trends and developments” by Ralph Hays, New Zealand Trade Commissioner for Sri Lanka and South Asia. 
  
   
• “NZ private sector current challenges and opportunities faced by small to medium exporters from NZ, and what such firms look for in international markets in terms of business partnerships” by Geoff Allott, Director & CEO, Quality NZ
  
   
• “NZ companies currently active in Sri Lanka and interest to build partnership with Sri Lankan companies” by Irfan Jaffer, NZTE Country Lead Sri Lanka 
  
   
• “NZ Education sector, current trends and opportunities” by Jugnu Roy, Country Manager – South Asia, Education New Zealand

Interested parties could join the Webinar online from the https://event.chamber.lk

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, realising the potential of expanding trade, investment and tourism between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, established the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council under its aegis in 1995.  The Business Council will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020.  The President of the Business Council Delano Dias, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Millers Limited, will deliver the welcome address and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chief Economist Shiran Fernando will moderate the webinar.

There are approximately 16,000 Sri Lankans living in New Zealand. Existing education ties between the two countries have facilitated over 1,000 Sri Lankan students to study in New Zealand. New Zealand has a market economy, and the service sector makes up a large portion of the GDP. The economy is dependent on international trade with other countries.

The biggest industries in New Zealand includes the agricultural and horticulture sector, mining, and fishing industries. Main items exported by New Zealand includes dairy products, meat, logs and wood products, fruit, machinery and equipment, wine, fish and seafood. New Zealand’s exports to Sri Lanka totalled $ 272.82 million during 2019, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. High quality Ceylon tea and cinnamon is very popular in New Zealand, in addition to gems and jewellery, apparel etc.