Maldives HC to speak at NCC bilateral talk session

Maldives High Commissioner Madam Zahiya Zareer will be the special guest speaker at a session on ‘Bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Maldives’ organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, on Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Chamber Auditorium, No: 450, D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, Colombo 10.
The participants will get an opportunity to interact with the high commissioner and Maldives High Commission officials.
Tourism, Maldives’ largest economic sector, accounts for nearly 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 60 percent of foreign exchange receipts. Fishing is the second leading sector. Due to increase in the Maldive fish, which accounts for approximately 50 percent, imports have doubled in 2015. The other imports from the Maldives include gas oil/diesel, etc. The top export product to the Maldives in 2015 was insulated wire and cables followed by wheat or meslin flour. Other potential items for export to the Maldives are fresh fruits, vegetables, coconut, rubber products, edible preparations, etc.
Supply of skilled workers to the Maldives is another area that Sri Lanka could promote in the Maldives. Sri Lanka also has potential in the services areas such as travel and tourism, hotels in the Maldives.