Ceylon Chamber’s SLES 2022 to explore factors vital for SL to achieve economic stability

From left: Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretary General/CEO Manjula de Silva, Deputy Vice Chairman Krishan Balendra, Chairman Vish Govindasamy and Deputy Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa
Pic by Pradeep Dilruckshana 

Sri Lanka Economic Summit (SLES) 2022 organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, will explore the factors vital to Sri Lanka achieving macroeconomic stability as the work to emerge from the economic crisis begins, under the theme ‘Resetting from Turmoil to Opportunity’, on December 5 and 6, at Shangri-La, Colombo. 

The summit will be inaugurated by the chief guest President Ranil Wickremesinghe on December 5. The guest of honour will be World Bank Regional Vice President for South Asia Region Martin Raiser, who will participate in a Fireside Chat, where he will discuss key levers that will lead to macroeconomic stability that can play a fundamental role in Sri Lanka’s journey toward economic recovery. The keynote speaker at the summit will be Parameswaran Iyer, Chief Executive Officer of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, which serves as the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India. 

Day 2 of the summit will see some of the keenest minds in the arenas of monetary and fiscal policy, economic reforms, technology, investment and private sector-led growth, from both the public and private sectors, come together to discuss key macroeconomic issues and viable solutions to the current crisis. 

In addition to Raiser, the summit will feature several high-profile international speakers including Aleksi Aleksishvili - former Finance Minister of Georgia Prof Nihat Bulent Gultekin - Associate Professor of Finance, Finance Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and Artak Melkonyan - Senior Advisor, Equity Financing and Funds, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP. 

Key local speakers include Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe - Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Siriwardana - Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Yvette Fernando - Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Renuka M. Weerakoon - Director General, Board of Investments, Dr. Sharmini Cooray - former Director, Institute of Capacity Development, IMF, Chamindry Saparamadu - Director General, Sustainable Development Council, Chandanie Wijayawardhana - Senior Additional Secretary to President, Presidential Secretariat and Suresh Shah - DG, SOE Restructuring Agency. Session panellists will also comprise a high-profile line- up of industry leaders, economists, policymakers and the next generation of Sri Lanka’s corporate leaders. 

Day 2 of the summit will begin with technical sessions that will focus on the macroeconomy and the reform process, while sessions thereafter will explore how the private sector can be a part of the reform process and leverage the opportunities that will become available through such reforms, as well as the opportunities for sustainable finance in the economic reset. The themes will focus on domestic policies and the reform outlook for key state institutions, facilitating private sector-led growth and investment and meeting Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets. In addition, the implication of an IMF programme and unfolding global dynamics on Sri Lanka’s journey to economic revival will also be explored in depth. This year, the summit will also feature a session with the next generation of Sri Lanka’s corporate leaders, who will share insights on their vision for a reset Sri Lanka. 

In-person registrations for SLES 2022 is sold out. For further information on virtual participation in the Summit, please contact Niroshini on [email protected] 0115588852; or Alikie on [email protected] or 0115588805 or the hotline number 0770228855.