ICC Academy to enhance trade financing in SL

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ICC Academy Commercial Director Vijey Ananda (second from left) and ICC Sri Lanka Chairman Keerthi Gunawardane (centre) exchanging the agreement while ICC Sri Lanka Deputy Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody (left), ICC Sri Lanka Secretary Shanil Fernando (second from right) and ICC Sri Lanka Education Sub Committee Chairman Lal Jayawardane (extreme right) looking on PIC BY INDRARATNA BALASURIYA

By Zahara Zuhair Offering online courses for working professionals, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Academy and ICC Sri Lanka signed an agreement in Colombo recently, with the aim of boosting capacity building in the country. As Sri Lanka became the first country to sign a commercial agreement with the academy through the academy’s e-learning platform, they expect to enhance the trade finance sector. The two certification programmes introduced were Global

Trade Certificate (GTC), an entry-level certification aimed at junior practitioners, and the Certified Trade Finance Professional (CTFP), which is expected to be unveiled in November. ICC Academy Commercial Director Vijey Ananada said that the bigger objective was to help to build capacity in trade financing.

He said that they are working to secure a healthier training system for the future, by providing the new generation with a solid foundation of quality trading system. He said that they provide learning on a digital platform, as online education provides a good learning experience and it is cost effective and is a convenient method. “In today’s world, technology is very important; our programmes will be made available on mobile devices, a big selling point, particularly to the younger crowd,” he said. Looking at their road map starting with trade finance, he said that their intention is to mirror the work with trade commissions of ICC in Paris. He added that they are in the process of introducing Anti- Corruption and Business Ethics (ACBE) certificate and EXIM certificate by next year. Talking more about their offerings, he said that their platform, which is global, is continuously revamped and the programmes are based on materials from experts across the world. It was also noted that the best part of these programmes is people could study and do the exams at anytime, as it provides a 24-7 operation, where it can be completed at their own pace. ICC Sri Lanka Chairman Keerthi Gunawardane said that this initiative is an important building block to the country’s overall strategy to promote economic growth through trade. Congratulating ICC Sri Lanka for the initiative, Deputy Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody said that it is a fantastic effort, as the government is keen on building the skill base, they will be happy with any initiative which would build the country’s skill base. It was also mentioned that these programmes would help the government in a very direct manner in its endeavour to make Sri Lanka a financial and a logistic hub. “In terms of our journey towards becoming a financial hub, high-class financial professionals have to be produced by our country; that is where this initiative is going to play a big role,” it added. The Singapore-based academy, an extension of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), offers a range of professional development e-courses and networking opportunities to support working professionals at any stage of their career. It was launched in March 2015.