Embassy in Tokyo promotes investments in Lankan capital market

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo organised a highly select Seminar mostly consisting of Institutional investors and Ultra High Networth Individuals (UHNIs) from the Japan based Bensei Securities as well as other foreign investors. The three hour Seminar, including that of several addresses and speeches, was held at the Conference Hall of the Embassy.

Bensei Securities of Japan has been to Sri Lanka on several occasions and has a firm commitment to invest Rs. 15 billion (USD 120 million) in the debt market, in particular, in Sri Lanka. The Bensei Securities has already committed investments of approximately Rs. 3 billion in the debt market of Sri Lanka. According to the senior management and analysts of Bensei Securities, the company is highly bullish and optimistic of the equity and debt market of Sri Lanka as well as of the potential of the economy of Sri Lanka.  

At the Seminar, the welcome address was delivered by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. In his address, Ambassador Karannagoda expounded the newly emerged economic, commercial and investment opportunities in the country as well as the potentiality of Sri Lanka to become a hub in financial services, aviation, ports, knowledge, outsourcing and tourism not only in South Asia but in the entire continent of Asia.

He also informed about the amount of funds expended for infrastructural development projects by the ADB, the World Bank, JICA, Exim Bank of China and other financial donor agencies. This amount is approximately USD 1.2 billion per year. He further impressed the importance of connectivity, integration and regionalism of Sri Lanka with the countries in the region as well as with countries in different continents, which would accommodate, augment and facilitate economic, investment, trade and commercial advancement of Sri Lanka, on a mutual basis.

With absolute peace, stability, opportunities and rule of law with a practicing Democracy, Sri Lanka is well positioned to become a highly sought after emerging economy in the region.  Ambassador Karannagoda also highlighted and underlined the prospects in the country for foreign direct investments, foreign institutional investments, investments in the tourism and hospitality sector and of course the impressive economic growth rates in the vicinity of 7.0 to 7.5% estimated in 2012 and the growth rate of 8.3% in 2011, among others.  

Bensei Securities CEO Toyohiko Murakami addressed the select audience with regard to the positive prospects of the macro and micro economic policies of Sri Lanka as well as the opportune timing to commit investments in the equity and in the debt market.  He further made parallels and comparisons with other emerging and developing economies around the world, and urged the select audience to take the advantage of Sri Lanka with regard to accruing a higher and safer Return on Investment (RoI) and Return on Equity (RoE) in the Capital market of Sri Lanka.  

The Deputy Chief of Mission Dr. Saj Mendis elucidated the key and compelling factors and reasons to commit investments in the equity and debt market of Sri Lanka, at this particular juncture, when the economy and the market are on an upward mobility and trajectory. He made comparisons with other equity and debt markets with regard to fundamental and technical data, which were obviously more stable and more promising than that of many other equity markets around the world.  

Bensei Securities GM Katsuhiko Hiroshige also spoke of the economy of Sri Lanka and the most effective manner of investing in the debt market, thus demonstrating the highest possible return on investments. The Chairman of New World Securities, Takashi Igarashi, also addressed the favourable economic climate for investments in Sri Lanka.   The New World Securities has a strong presence in Sri Lanka and Igarashi has been in Sri Lanka for over two decades. After the conclusion of the formal addresses and speeches, the select audience posed questions and clarifications to the respective speakers in order to be clear of the objectives of investments in Sri Lanka.

The closing remarks were delivered by Bensei Securities Managing Director Akio Shimamoto, encompassing the key and salient issues, features and opportunities of investments in the equity and debt market in Sri Lanka. Most of them were impressed of the economic and financial tapestry of Sri Lanka as well as of the visible positive prospects of the Capital market. The Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy M. Somasena organised this seminar with the assistance of other officials of the Embassy.