Dimuth Chankama Silva new COYLE Chairman

Freight Masters International Ltd. Managing Director Dimuth Chankama Silva has been appointed as the new Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) Chairman at the 23rd AGM held recently. He succeeds Saranga Goonewardena.

Post-AGM-gala held at the Shangri-La Hotel saw the presence of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest. Several Ministers, State Ministers, MPs, Secretaries, Government officials, diplomatic community, and COYLE members attended the event. The new Chairman will be ably assisted by Senior Vice Chairman Rasith Wickramasingha and Vice-Chairman Thushira Radella.

A product of Trinity College, Kandy, and has represented the college basketball team and Sri Lanka Schools team, Silva takes on this nationally important role at a critical time for Sri Lanka, as the country emerges from the COVID-19 crisis and re-builds its local and international business and trade relations along with a dire need for accelerated progress towards economic growth in the nation amidst daunting challenges in multiple fronts.

COYLE plays a key role in representing the voice of businesses at the inter-governmental level and on a national level, acting as an impartial organisation and providing a forum to build consensus and collaborative action.

Silva’s intentions to serve via consensus and dialogue was evident in his words when he addressed the audience saying: “Let me quote the words of Shakespeare from the play Othello, ‘We cannot all be masters’. That is why COYLE has only one Chairman position but is ineffective without the power of the Members. 

“Prime Minister, you represent the Podu Jana Peramuna, ‘The key strength there is the people’. Similarly, I am nothing but a representative, a humble servant of my members.”

Outgoing Chairman Saranga said: “I congratulate Dimuth on taking on this leadership role, and I look forward to supporting the enthusiastic COYLE team, on an exciting agenda following an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, a time that calls for the unique collaboration capability of COYLE.”

COYLE will be playing an increasingly crucial role in supporting the initiatives of the Government in bringing all stakeholders to the table to ensure that trade delivers better outcomes for everyone. 

This is possible by building consensus around policies that foster inclusivity, drive growth, encourage investment and create jobs which are essential for a nation trying to break through the shackles of the pandemic and move forward to greener economic pastures.