Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association holds 45th AGM

Seated from left: Dial Textiles Industries MD Sean Umagiliya, Variosystems MD Thevan Satheeswaran, Filotex Lanka MD M.H.Z.M Marzook, Screenline Holdings MD Nishantha Bakmeege, Tropical Finding Director Dhammika Fernando, Lalan Rubber CEO Manjula Mahadanaarachchi, Calico Color Chairman Prabath Gunasekara, Amsafe Bridport GM Chandani Ekanayake and Shore to Shore and Expo Industries Engineering MD Beauno Fernando

Standing from left: Ansell Textiles Lanka Country Head Ramesh Nanayakkara, FTZMA Secretary General Vasantha Dias, GPV Lanka MD Chandana Dissanayake, SMT Apparel Lanka GM Roshan Lasksiri, Isabella and Sarasavi Exports Charman Hemantha Perera, Plant Lipids Lanka Director Denham Mack, Trinity Steel MD Jaison Joseph, KIK Lanka Chairman Lalith Kahatapitiya, Dynawash MD Shahid Sangani and Crystal Martin Ceylon Country Manager Mark Muller  

Absent: Isin lanka Director Jatinder Biala, ATG Ceylon MD Fazal Abdeen and Lanka Hiqu and TG Lanka MD Lalith Madappulli

Tropical Findings (Pvt.) Ltd Director Dhammika Fernando was re-elected as Chairman of the Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association (FTZMA) for the 2026/2027 term, at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently at Hilton Colombo Residences. 

Filotex Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd Director M.H.Z.M. Marzook was re-elected as General Secretary. The positions of Vice Chairmen were filled by ATG Ceylon (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director Fazal Abdeen and Screenline Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Director Nishantha Bakmeege. Lalan Rubbers (Pvt.) Ltd CEO Manjula Mahadanaarchchi was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer.

The event was graced by Labour Cabinet Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, who attended as the chief guest. The guests of honour of the event were Labour Deputy Minister Mahinda Hayasinghe, former Export Development Board First Secretary, Chairman and Chief Executive Mangala Wijesinghe, Embassy of the United States in Sri Lanka Economic Officer Tedesco, Indian High Commission Commercial Representative and Counsellor Devika Lal, Board of Investment (BOI) Director General Renuka Weerakoon and Japan External Trade Organisation Sri Lanka Representative Hiroki Oi.

The FTZMA is a leading association representing the foreign direct investors operating under the purview of the BOI. Since it commenced its operation from the Katunayake Free Trade Zone over 41 years ago, the association has been representing the foreign direct investments, expanding its presence to all free trade zones as well as the outside locations of the BOI zones in the country.

Dhammika Fernando emphasised that the FTZMA is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most established trade chambers, representing a wide range of export-oriented industries under the BOI framework. Unlike the sector-specific bodies, it brings together diverse industries such as apparel, rubber, electronics and engineering and plays a key role in national labour dialogue. This broad representation gives the FTZMA a responsibility to advocate not just for industry but for national production, employment, exports and investor confidence.

His speech highlighted the difficult global and local environment facing exporters, including geopolitical tensions in West Asia affecting trade routes and costs as well as the US tariff measures reducing competitiveness. Domestically, persistent issues such as bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies in the BOI system and regulatory bottlenecks continue to hinder business operations and investment.