17th Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council

Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council Committee for the Year 2016/17 (standing from left): The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretariat Julianne Boulton, Spear International Shavesh Mendis, Ally Weerasinghe Avindra Weerasinghe, A Baur& Co. Janaka Gunasekera, Interglobe Travels, Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council Vice President Sonali Liyanamana, Hydromec International, Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council President Rajah Abeyasinghe JP, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka Charge d’Affairs A.I. Dr. Giandomenico Milano, Hellman Worldwide Logistics, Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council Immediate Past President Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, The Autodrome Rajeev Aloysius, JAT Holdings Surani Sahabandu, Euro Sports Auto Lanka, Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council Vice President Anushka Polonowita, Lanka Walltiles Kulanthi Silva, DFCC Bank Harsha de Alwis

Imalka Maduwanthi receiving her certificate from Dr. Giandomenico Milano for the completion of the Italian Language Course

The Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce held its 17th Annual General Meeting at the Hilton Colombo Residences recently. Dr. Giandomenico Milano, Charge D’Affairs A.I, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest at this occasion.

Hydromec International Ltd. Chief Executive Officer D.R.P. Abeyasinghe was appointed President of the Council. Abeyasinghe has a Mechanical Engineering background. The latter part of his career however has been devoted to marketing and commercial aspects of dealing in earth moving and materials handling machinery and equipment. Abeyasinghe in his address said that the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council can lay claim to organisational excellence that has taken the Council to such highest in its journey and reached the standing as the foremost Business Council in the country. He further added that overall, the relationship between Sri Lanka and Italy is a strong and abiding one.

Abeyasinghe takes over from Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny. During her speech Polonnowita said that together with the Sri Lanka Italy Friendship Society, the Council had organised a farewell reception for Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka Former Ambassador Fabrizio Arpea in June last year. The Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council together with the Commissioner General of Expo Milan 2015 Secretariat organised a seminar on ‘EXPO Milan 2015’ in July last year at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. 

The Annual Christmas Dinner and Welcome Reception for the Ambassador of Italy to Sri Lanka Paolo Andrea Bartorelli, was hosted together with the Sri Lanka Italy Friendship Society in December. A Breakfast Meeting was conducted by Minister Champika Ranawaka on the topic ‘The Vision of Megapolis and Investment Opportunities’ in January this year at Hilton Colombo Residences. This Breakfast Meeting proved to be a very popular and timely event that drew over 200 participants from the Sri Lankan Business Community.

Polonnowita also mentioned the Italian Language Course conducted by the Council. The second batch of Italian Language Course for Beginners was held from October 2015 to January 2016. Two students, Imalka Maduwanthi and Sumi Atapattu who had successfully passed the course were presented with their certificates at this event. Polonnowita added that the third batch of the Italian Language Course for Beginners had also begun, with a class of 10 students.

In May 2015, the Council also provided its members with the opportunity to meet a Business Delegation from Italy regarding Renewable Energy. The delegates made a brief presentation on the alternative energy technology available to them, which was followed by a lively Question and Answer Session between the delegates and participants. This business delegation had accompanied the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy Benedetto Della Vedova on his official visit to the country. Interglobe – Worldlink Air Services Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Sonali Liyanamana and Anushka Polonowita, General Manager, Euro Sports Auto Lanka Ltd., subsidiary of Micro Holdings Ltd. were elected Vice Presidents of the Council.

A Baur& Co. Ltd., Ally Weerasinghe Ltd., DFCC Bank PLC, JAT Holdings Ltd., Lanka Walltiles PLC, Spear International Ltd. and The Autodrome PLC, Walkers Tours Ltd. were elected from the membership to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council.

Individual persons, partnerships, companies, corporations or other organisations engaged in trade, tourism or services with Italy or engaged in joint ventures with Italian organisations or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with Italian organisations are eligible for membership of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council. Further details regarding membership of the Council could be obtained from the Secretariat of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce by calling on 011-5588875 or emailing [email protected].