Joint Daily FT-Colombo Uni. MBA Alumni ‘Speak up before the Budget’ Forum tomorrow

Monday, 7 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The unique ‘Speak up before the Budget’ Forum organised by the Daily FT in partnership with the Colombo University MBA Alumni Association will be held tomorrow at the Hilton Residencies, Colombo. Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning Dr. P.B. Jayasundera will lead the team of officials from the Treasury at the breakfast forum. Standard Chartered Bank will be the exclusive sponsor of the pre-Budget forum, also for the third consecutive year. The event, held for the third consecutive year, is a first-of-its-kind where a select group of top business and industry leaders are brought together to list three key recommendations on their part for the consideration of the Government ahead of the Budget. Conducted in a focused, business-like manner, the two previous events have been highly effective and useful for both the private sector and the Finance Ministry. This is an invitee-only forum.

Among private sector participants at the Forum are Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage, Softlogic Holdings Chairman Ashok Pathirage, Maga Engineering Group Chairman Capt. N.G. Kularatne, DSI Group Managing Director K. Rajapaksa, DIMO Chairman Ranjith Pandithage, Jetwing Hotels Chairman Hiran Cooray, NDB Director and CEO Rajendra Theyagaraja, Kotmale Holdings Chairman Stuart Young, Hemas Power Director/CEO Kishan Nanayakkara, Quantum Clothing Lanka Ltd. Country Manager Yohan Lawrence, Union Assurance CEO Dirk Perera, Kelani Valley Plantations Managing Director Roshan Rajadurai, NDB Investment Bank Vajira Kulathilake, Amba Research Lanka Director Sanjaya Kulatunga, Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce Consultant Azmi Thassim, APIIT CEO Athula Pitigala Arachchi and Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd. Managing Director Rizvi Zaheed. This year, the pre-Budget forum will also include the handover of proposals from larger private sector and the public obtained via a unique marketing campaign. Print ads carrying postage-paid envelops were provided in the English and Sinhala newspapers of Wijeya Newspaper Ltd., for submission of written proposals. Additional mobile booths with audio device were placed in Nugegoda and Fort Railway stations as well as the World Trade Centre for recording of public proposals. The creative partner for the pre-Budget forum and its initiatives is Phoenix Ogilvy.