SLIBFI Conference 2017 to celebrate 25 years of Islamic finance in Sri Lanka

The completion of 20 years of Islamic finance is undoubtedly a significant milestone in the annals of the IBF industry in Sri Lanka. Launched, albeit on an informal basis, in 1997, the initial stakeholders were faced with obstacles that many would deem insurmountable. In fact, whilst challenges continue to thwart many an endeavour, IBF has blossomed to what it is today; a buoyant industry comprising over twenty-five institutions offering an array of products and services, straddling the many facets that constitute a fully-fledged industry.

This year under the theme ‘Twenty Years of Islamic Finance in Sri Lanka,’ the SLIBFI Conference 2017, the premier event in the IBF industry in Sri Lanka and conducted without interruption for the past eight years, promises the audience a day filled with panel discussions on ‘Reflections – Looking back on two decades of IBF in Sri Lanka’ and knowledge sharing by industry leaders.

Now in its ninth instalment, SLIBFI is nearing a milestone of its own. Undergoing a complete revamp, the program will be divided into multiple segments. The plenary sessions will focus on the IT segments; Digital Banking, the Disruption in FinTech and its impact on the IBF industry, Cyber Crime et al. Also, featured would be the Challenges faced by Scholars and other key presentations on contemporary topics. 

These sessions, which have been a feature for the past several years, will be followed by working groups that would discuss a plethora of issues; Banking and Finance, Recommendations for inclusion in Budget 2018, Islamic Capital Markets – Integration of Sukuks and other ICM products into the Capital Market Mainstream, as well as Takaful and its convergence with the insurance industry. 

The speakers at the various sessions will straddle many facets of the IBF Industry. The keynote address will be delivered by A.I Marikar, Member, Advisory Board of AAFI, former MD, Amana Investments Ltd., and former Chairman, Adl Capital Ltd. The list of distinguished speakers and panellists would also include Reyaz Mihular, Managing Partner, KPMG, Krishan Thilakaratne, D/CEO Commercial Leasing & Finance and General Manager, LOLC Al-Falaah, Ishrat Rauff, Group MD/CEO, Adl Capital, Mafaz Ishaq, Director, Calamander Capital, Singapore, Shiraz Sideek, MD/CEO, MSI Management Consultants, Conrad Dias, MD/CEO, LOLC Technology Services, Suresh Perera, Principal – Tax & Regulatory, KPMG, Sabri Abdul Cader, Associate Director, Adl Capital,  M.S.M.K. Rahman, Founder/MD and CEO, Xpert Governance Consultancy, Azad Zaheed, Associate Director, Adl Capital, Sarah Afker, Director – Tax Services, BDO Partners, Shamail Annam, AGM – Business Development, Amana Takaful, Siddeeque Akbar, VP – Retail Banking and Strategic Marketing, Amana Bank, Hisham Ally, Head of IBU, HNB Al Najah, Nadheer Siddeeq, Manager, LOLC Al Falaah Takaful General Insurance, Ash Sheikh Zaid Nooramith, In House Advisor – IBD, Commercial Leasing and Finance and Nazeefa Fawzer, Senior Lecturer, APIIT Business School.

The 9th SLIBFI Conference, scheduled for 11 July and organised by UTO EduConsult Ltd., will be held at the Ramada Colombo. It promises the delegates attending a day filled with interactive knowledge sharing and networking opportunities amongst the IBF fraternity. For further details, please contact 0777-466488 or 0775-837575 or email [email protected] and visit www.utoeduconsult.com.