Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council hosts AGM

The 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently, with High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka Paul Stephens and High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka and the Maldives David Pine in attendance as chief guests. 

South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt.) Ltd Senior Manager Commercial and Marketing Udara Cumaratunga was re-elected as President of the Council for 2024/25. Vice Presidents elected for 2024/25 include Island Leisure Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director Chandana Amaradasa, Spillburg Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director M.H.K.M. Hameez, Lidechsi Group of Companies Chairman Lionel D.C. Silva and Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd Managing Director Jayanthi Dharmasena. Jiffy Products SL Managing Director Ruwan Rajapakse will continue to serve the committee as immediate past president. 

The newly appointed committee for the year 2024/25 consists of representatives from Abans PLC, ABC Pharma Services (Pvt.) Ltd, AG International (Pvt.) Ltd, ASL Logistics CMB (Pvt.) Ltd, CMA CGM Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Gnanam Imports (Pvt.) Ltd, Infomate Private Limited, MIT Global Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd, Nelna Agri Development and Qantas Airways Ltd.

Addressing the gathering, Cumaratunga highlighted the contributions of the two partner nations to uplift Sri Lanka during the economic crisis. 

Cumaratunga shared her vision for the upcoming year, focusing on providing a robust platform for new business ventures, encouraging trade delegations and fostering close cooperation with trade missions. She emphasised the strategic importance of collaboration between Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand across various sectors, including trade, services, tourism, education and agriculture, highlighting the significant potential for growth.

Expressing her commitment to strengthen the existing connections, Cumaratunga said the council aims to expand trade engagements and enhance industry ties among Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. 

The SLANZBC serves as a vital platform for promoting trade, services and tourism between Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. The council’s efforts are geared towards building stronger industry engagements, exploring new business opportunities and facilitating greater collaboration among these three nations to unlock their combined potential.