Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council holds 13th AGM

Executive Committee 2024/2025: Seated from left: Immediate Past President S.M.D. Suriyakumara, Counselor of Thailand Prangtip Kongrittisuksakon, Ambassador of Vietnam Trinh Thi Tam, President Nimal Ratnayake, Ambassador of Myanmar Daw Marlar Than Htaik, Vice President Tilak Goonawardane and Vice President Shameel Mohideen
Committee members: Standing from left: Kamal Wimalaratne, Prabhath Nedurana, Denver De Livera, Rakitha de Silva, Mahen Weerasekara, Ranil Seneviratne and Amanthi Silva, Secretariat of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
Not in the photo: Committee Member Chandana Nanayakkara

President SLGMBC Nimal Ratnayake

The 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently, at Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

The event was graced by Ambassador of Myanmar Daw Marlar Than Htaik, Ambassador of Vietnam Trinh Thi Tam and Counselor of Thailand Prangtip Kongrittisuksakon, with Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe attending as the guest speaker. 

Tam, addressing the gathering, mentioned how Sri Lanka and Viet Nam share many similarities in history, geography and culture. She highlighted the opportunities in key sectors for development, including textiles, agriculture, fisheries, food processing, logistics infrastructure (airports and seaports) and tourism. She also said that The Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce have been pivotal in connecting and strengthening business relations between the two countries. Further she mentioned that The Embassy of Viet Nam in Sri Lanka is committed to supporting businessmen in both countries, providing information on potential business and investment opportunities and as business cooperative activities and invited businesses in Sri Lanka to leverage these opportunities. 

Htaik, during her remarks, highlighted the growing opportunities in Myanmar in sectors such as trade, investment and tourism, to expand their businesses and develop bilateral trade and relations. She highlighted that being tropical countries with similar climate, Myanmar is keen to engage in knowledge exchange with Sri Lanka, particularly focusing on modern farming techniques and food processing. 

Kongrittisuksakon, in her remarks mentioned that the signing of the Sri Lanka-Thailand FTA is a new milestone in long-standing relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka. The two countries may exchange products that are in need and that increase options to benefit the people. Thailand is focusing on clean technology, agro processing and bio-based activities, smart electronics, medical and wellness, digital as well as creative sectors, all of which offer significant opportunities. She encouraged Thailand and Sri Lanka to join hands in bringing ancient and traditional wisdoms, combined with appropriate science and technology, to enhance sustainability and people’s well-being. To do this, the Royal Thai Embassy, in collaboration with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is organising an activity entitled ‘Business Opportunities Between Thailand and Sri Lanka: Food, Agriculture and Health for Sustainable Prosperity and Well-Being’ to be held during February 2-6, 2025, in Thailand.

Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC Chief Marketing Officer Nimal Ratnayake was elected as President for the year 2024-2025 by the members. 

In his address, he shared his vision for the future: “Over the past year, the Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council has made significant strides in strengthening our relationships with the ASEAN nations, particularly with Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

“As we all know, the Greater Mekong region is a dynamic and rapidly growing economic hub. As part of the ASEAN community, these nations represent one of the largest economic powerhouses in the world, forming the fifth-largest economy globally and the third-largest trade bloc, following the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. With its diverse cultures, strategic locations and untapped potential, it presents vast opportunities for collaboration and investment. As the Sri Lanka-Greater Mekong Business Council, our mission is to serve as the bridge that connects these opportunities with the expertise, resources and vision of Sri Lanka’s business community. Thank you for your trust and let’s embark on this exciting journey of opportunity and collaboration.” 

MAC Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Director/Chief Financial Officer Tilak Goonawardane and Spillburg Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Chief Executive Officer Shameel Mohideen were elected as Vice Presidents. The member companies, Advantis Projects and Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd, ASL Logistics CMB (Pvt.) Ltd, Advantis Freight (Pvt.) Ltd, OpenArc Systems Management (Pvt.) Ltd and Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd were elected to the committee. 

S.M.D. Suriyakumara of Maliban Bioventures Ltd, Ranil Seneviratne of Ranfer Teas (Pvt.) Ltd and Mahen Weerasekera of Capital Developers Ltd were appointed as Honorary Members to the committee.

The SLGMBC is dedicated to strengthening trade, investment and tourism relationships between Sri Lanka and Greater Mekong nations, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The council maintains strong diplomatic ties with the Greater Mekong missions in Sri Lanka.