Sri Lanka – Benelux Business Council holds 31st AGM

Seated from left: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and Maldives Deputy Ambassador/Head of Economic Department Iwan Rutjens, Ambassador Wiebe de Boer, SLBBC President Farhath Amith, Senior Vice President Mr. Shameel Mohideen, and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretary General/CEO Shiran Fernando. Standing from left: The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretariat Pasandi Senara, Hiwin Chandrasekara, Dr. D S K Pathirana, P. M. Abeysekara, Honorary Consul to Luxembourg Suwaneetha Senanayake, Department of Commerce Acting Director General of Commerce Somasena Mahadiulwewa, Andre Fernando, and Asela Samarapperuma

The Sri Lanka – Benelux Business Council (SLBBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce conducted its 31st Annual General Meeting recently.

Chief Guest Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Wiebe de Boer, during his address, highlighted the enduring relevance of the Benelux union as a sandbox for further European Intergration – including its role in linking Sri Lankan exporters to the Port of Rotterdam. The Ambassador confirmed that Sri Lanka’s GSP+ access remains in place until 2029, with a two-year window to reapply under a new regime, and expressed hope that Sri Lanka could eventually progress from GSP+ to a full Free Trade Agreement with the EU, similar to the EU-India FTA signed this year. He also raised concerns over bureaucratic hurdles facing entrepreneurs, citing delays in quality-control clearances and restrictive foreign investment caps. 

President of the Council Mr. Farhath Amith reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka – Benelux trade and investment ties, calling for continued Benelux support to extend Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status by a further five years. He highlighted key sectors for greater collaboration, including renewable energy (targeting 70% renewable electricity generation by 2030), floriculture, agriculture and agro-processing (including GI-certifiable crops such as cocoa and vanilla), eco-tourism, the coconut industry, and healthcare. He also called for a long-overdue business promotion mission to the Netherlands.

The President highlighted that the process of selecting Sri Lankan spices and agricultural commodities for GI Certification has been very slow over the years, causing the country to miss out on expanding export market opportunities to the EU. He noted that there is no delay on the part of Sri Lanka’s regulatory and competent authorities in supporting stakeholder GI authorities with the required information.

He further highlighted that, with the Netherlands serving as the gateway for the floriculture industry in the EU, Sri Lanka should be considered as the hub in South Asia for the tropical ornamental plants and cut-foliage trade.

Fanam International Ltd., Director Farhath Amith was re-elected President for the 2026/2027 term, while Spillburg Holdings Ltd.’s Shaameel Mohideen and Vinu International Trading Company Ltd.’s P.M. Abeysekara were reappointed Senior Vice President and Vice President respectively. The Council also elected committee members representing Andrew The Travel Company Ltd., MAC Holdings Ltd., Maliban Healthcare Ltd., Propylon One Ltd., Sri Lanka Technology Development Corporate Society, and Thames International Educational Consultancy Ltd., Aitken Spence Travels Ltd., Assistant Vice President Sajith Wijenayake will continue to serve on the Committee as Immediate Past President.