Mumbai based Indo – German Chamber of Commerce says Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and Germany’s Hamburg City, should work closely and enhance commercial ties, as both cities are ‘Port Cities.’

This was said, when the representatives of the Mumbai based Indo – German Chamber of Commerce visited the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce during last week. Hubert Reilard, President of the Indo – German  Chamber of Commerce and Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General of the Chamber was in Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission.

“With the elections are over, we thought it is a good time to relook at Sri Lanka’, said Steinruecke. He said, both Sri Lanka and Germany should focus on enhancing the existing bilateral relationships to a new level. ‘More is possible’, he added.

Education, Leisure, Technology, Imports and Exports are the possible areas Sri Lanka and Germany can work together, the visiting Chamber officials said.
Mangala P. B. Yapa, Secretary General and the CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said, the investment climate in Sri Lanka is improving and that opens the door for foreign direct investments.

“The government brought down the corporate taxes in the recent budget to a lower level’, he said. Yapa also said a simplified taxation system, concessions on SMEs and Regional Development are positive signs that emanated out of the recent budget. “Sri Lanka’s position in the global shipping route, and the regional trade agreements are areas the foreign investors can look into”, Yapa told the visiting officials.

Deshabandu Tilak De Soyza, Former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Lilakshin De Mel, Senior Assistant Secretary General of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Manjula Maldeniya, Manager of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce were also present during the meeting.

Indo – German Chamber of Commerce has offices in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Dusseldorf. Nine India desks in 9 Chambers abroad and 18 local Chambers in Germany and also representatives in Brussels and 17 honorary representatives in India.