Eran pitches for Singapore investments

Wednesday, 18 February 2015 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Deputy Minister of Highways, Higher Education and Investment Promotion Eran Wickramaratne led a delegation to Singapore from 11 to 14 February to attend a series of events aiming at promoting Singaporean investment in Sri Lanka which was organised by Board of Investments (BOI), Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Bank of Mizuho, Singapore. Members of the delegation from BOI comprised of Executive Director Renuka Weerakoon, Director (Investor Services) Mahinda Ramanayake and Deputy Director/Desk Officer for Singapore Manilal Ranasinghe. In the keynote address, the Deputy Minister said that in the first three months the government intends putting in place a framework to ensure that confidence will return and business will be able to function independently. The Deputy Minister emphasised that further economic growth will be driven by investment and foreign direct investment will be welcome. Wickramaratne also mentioned that Sri Lanka has many skilled people in the areas of technology and that Sri Lanka was open to other areas as well. The Deputy Minister also mentioned that the new Government will continue some of the projects particularly roads and highways and that the only difference will be that the Government will be doing business in a transparent way. During the visit, the Deputy Minister attended a high profile business meeting with members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce which was organised by the Sri Lanka High Commission, Singapore. The participants expressed their keenness in investing in Sri Lanka in the near future in the sectors of logistics and process outsourcing services, real estate, technology investment, apparel manufacturing, construction, engineering industry, infrastructure, agriculture MICE tourism and retail industries. Acting High Commissioner Vipulatheja Wishwanath Aponsu and Second Secretary Rekha Mallikarachchi also participated in the meeting. The Deputy Minister attended several investment promotions events organised by Mizuho Bank on 13 February at Westin Hotel followed by networking sessions arranged by APL Logistics, Toshiba Company, Japanese Chamber of Commerce (Singapore Branch) B.P. de Silva Group and Altair – Iconic Development in Colombo, Sri Lanka The Deputy Minister also had the opportunity to meet several Singaporean Investors and Sri Lankan Investors based in Singapore.