Ceylon Chamber holds 21st AGM of SLANZBC

Sri Lanka Australia New Zealand Business Council Committee for 2016/2017

By Zahara Zuhair
The 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) was held recently electing Manjula Lanerolle as the President.  The new president said that he was looking forward to achieve the goals of the SLANZBC and to accomplish its mission with tremendous vigour and enthusiasm.
Honorary Consul for New Zealand in Sri Lanka Senaka de Silva said that in the last few years New Zealand had chosen Sri Lanka as one of the countries that they wished to have a very strong friendship with and equally strong and dynamic 
business relationship.

“New Zealand has recognised Sri Lanka as one of the rising stars of Asia. It is small like New Zealand and we live next to very large brothers like Australia and India,” 
he said.

He said that New Zealand and Sri Lanka trade had increased considerably, from milk to IT, from modern farming to using the strategic location of Sri Lanka.
He said that New Zealand’s commitment to Sri Lanka was highlighted by the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key last year. 

“This year too there are high-profile visits and trade missions planned and serious commitments made to work with Sri Lanka,” he imparted.
The Immediate Past President Lionel Silva said that during the year 2015 trade between Sri Lanka and Australia accounted for a sum of US $ 427 million, which was an increase from the previous figure of US $ 400 million.

Australian imports to Sri Lanka during the reference year stood at US $ 268 million while Sri Lankan exports to that country amounted to US $ 159 million. Trade balance stood in favour of Australia, which accounted for a gap of US $ 109 million. 

Briefing about Sri Lanka and New Zealand trade, he noted that during the year 2015 trade between Sri Lanka and New Zealand accounted for a total of US $ 208 million, which was a decrease of trade compared to the trade volumes in 2004, which accounted for US $ 279. Sri Lanka’s exports to New Zealand in 2015 stood at US $ 23 million, a significant decline from the previous year’s exporting income of US $ 25 million.

The imported amount from New Zealand was US $ 185 million.The trade balance in favour of New Zealand stood at a sum of US $ 185 million.