CCC’s Sri Lanka - Japan Business Council holds 41st AGM

Committee of the Sri Lanka - Japan Business Council for the year 2020 - 2021. Seated from left: Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa, Ambassador Akira Sugiyama, Mahen Dayananda, Merrick Gooneratne, Julianne Boulton. Standing from left: Chanaka Kariyapperuma, Rohitha Mendis, Dinesh Saparamadu, Shamil Mendis, Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, Mahen Kariyawasan, Tissa Jayaweera, Andre Fernando, Mohan Mendis, and Sagara Gunawardana. Absent: Deshamanya Deva Rodrigo, Ruwan Waidyaratne and Athulla Edirisinghe 

The 41st Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka - Japan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) was held on 17 September at Hilton Colombo Residences. 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 & Industry (JCCI). The SLJBC is the first bilateral business council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The main objective of the Business Council is the promotion of trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and Japan, as well as the facilitation of investments. 

Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama, who is also the Patron of the Council, was the Chief Guest at the AGM. Ambassador Sugiyama congratulated and thanked the SLJBC for its active role in promoting Japan - Sri Lanka business relations, and on behalf of the Government of Japan, expressed their solidarity with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka in combatting COVID-19, while commending the strong leadership of the Government and the business leaders of Sri Lanka in tackling successfully the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. He also remarked that “with the lessons learnt from this pandemic, our two countries should come up with proper strategic moves to convert the global pandemic challenge into opportunities, and I hope this would turn a new leaf in Japan - Sri Lanka business relations”.

 TOS Lanka Ltd. Executive Director Merrick Gooneratne was elected by the members as the President of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council for the year 2020-2021. Andrew The Travel Company Ltd. Managing Director Mahen Kariyawasan; Spear International Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director Shamil Mendis; Venora International Projects Ltd. Chairman Sagara Gunawardana; MAC Holdings Ltd. Chairman/Managing Director Andre Fernando; and hSenid Software International Ltd. Chairman, Dinesh Saparamadu, were elected as Vice Presidents for the year 2020-2021. Indo Asia Teas Ltd. Chairman Mahen Dayananda, who stepped down as the President will continue to serve on the Committee as the Immediate Past President. Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa and Deshamanya Deva Rodrigo will continue to serve on the Committee as Advisors during the year 2020-2021. 

The Business Council members: ASOL Traders, represented by Chanaka Kariyapperuma; Hayleys Advantis Limited, represented by Ruwan Waidyaratne; Heritage Teas Ltd., represented by Mohan Mendis; Hirohama Ceylon Ltd., represented by Athulla Edirisinghe; Midaya Ceramic Co. Ltd., represented by Dayasiri Warnakulasuriya; Prudential Shipping Lines Ltd., represented by Rohitha Mendis; and TJ Associates, represented by Tissa Jayaweera, were elected as Committee Members for the year 2020-2021.

In his address, the newly appointed President of the Council, on behalf of the Sri Lanka - Japan Business Council conveyed congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga, the 99th Prime Minister of Japan and the first New Prime Minister for the Reiwa Era, adding that the Council wished and prayed for a very successful tenure of Office. Through the Ambassador, Gooneratne also conveyed the Council’s “appreciation of the outgoing Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, whose historic visit to Sri Lanka in 2014 heralded a new era of friendship between our two countries”. Gooneratne added that “most of the Senior Members of the Council present would have nostalgic recollections of that visit in September 2014, especially the event which was hosted by this Council in honour of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe”.

Gooneratne also added that the Council hoped that the new Government of Sri Lanka, with the assistance of the Embassy, will pay attention to the implementation of projects, such as digital TV, the Central Expressway, the 300 MW Power Plant, Pipeline of LNG supply, and the Mass Rapid Transport System, for which the Japanese Government has committed funding. Gooneratne also referred to the visit of the Senior Japanese Minister Kasoshi Akaba some years ago, “who in his talks emphasised on the need to formulate a Free Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and Japan. Unfortunately, this initiative also remains unrealised and we hope that talks will be revived towards finalising the Free Trade Agreement to benefit Sri Lankan Exports to Japan”.

The outgoing President of the Council, in his address, highlighted the activities conducted by the Council during the year 2019-2020, which included an event titled “Doing Business with Japan”, which provided industry leaders with a platform to share their experiences on how Sri Lankan companies can further develop business linkages with Japan, and a Webinar titled “Benefitting from Japanese Practices and Management Techniques”, conducted by BizEx Consulting Ltd. Director Sunil G. Wijesinha. Regarding Sri Lanka’s external trade with Japan, Dayananda informed the audience present that Japan was Sri Lanka’s eighth highest export destination in 2019, moving up two places from the 10th position in 2018, while Japan was Sri Lanka’s fifth highest import destination in 2019, moving down one place from the fourth position in 2018.

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.