SLEIS 2026 to examine how Sri Lanka can build more resilient economy for future

Tuesday, 8 September 2026 04:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ADB Senior Country Economist for Sri Lanka Lilia Aleksanyan, CBSL Senior Deputy Governor

Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, Hemas Holdings PLC Executive Director Sabrina Esufally, Centre for Poverty Analysis Consultant Dr. Roshan Perera, Advocata Institute CEO Dhananath Fernando

As Sri Lanka moves beyond economic stabilisation, attention is increasingly turning to how the country can maintain its growth momentum while preparing for the challenges ahead.

This will be among the key questions at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on 12-13 October, where policymakers, business leaders and international experts will examine how Sri Lanka can build greater resilience while continuing to pursue growth and investment.

Recent economic and global disruptions have highlighted the importance of strengthening the foundations of the economy, from macroeconomic stability and institutions to business resilience and the ability to respond to changing conditions. Titled “Beyond Crisis Management: Building a Shock-Resilient Sri Lankan Economy,” the session will examine the vulnerabilities exposed by recent economic and external shocks and consider what needs to be put in place to ensure that future disruptions do not repeatedly set back economic progress.

ADB Senior Country Economist for Sri Lanka Lilia Aleksanyan will deliver the keynote address at the session, and will be joined at a panel discussion by Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, Hemas Holdings PLC Executive Director Sabrina Esufally, and Centre for Poverty Analysis Consultant and former CBSL Director Dr. Roshan Perera. The discussion will be moderated Advocata Institute CEO Dhananath Fernando.

The session will consider how Sri Lanka can strengthen macroeconomic stability, safeguard livelihoods and improve the resilience of businesses and key economic institutions. It will also examine the role of international partnerships, investment, innovation and business leadership in building an economy that can adapt to changing conditions without losing sight of longer-term development goals.

Rather than focusing only on how the country responds when the next crisis arrives, the discussion will consider what needs to be put in place beforehand, including stronger institutions, sound economic policies, greater diversification, resilient businesses and the capacity to respond quickly when external or domestic pressures emerge.

The session will form part of the second day of SLEIS 2026, held under the theme “Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy.”