Trade mission to Sri Lanka
British High Commission and UKTI led a UK trade mission to Sri Lanka entitled 'Putting British Business on the Front Foot'
British High Commissioner H E John Rankin speaks at the event.
The mission, organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Colombo, was held on Thursday, 27 November 2014. The trade mission saw representatives of 21 British companies eager to explore and discuss further opportunities for trade and investment in Sri Lanka.
The keynote address was delivered by the Deputy Minister for Investment Promotion, Hon. Faiszer Musthapha. He spoke about Sri Lanka’s strategic position as a gateway to India and the Middle East because of its trade and transport links. He warmly welcomed all the British companies present and encouraged them to “visit Sri Lanka, enjoy its beauty and make a business decision to make their next investment here”.
In his message to the UK companies, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, H E John Rankin, said:
As British High Commissioner one of my key objectives is to increase bilateral trade between UK and Sri Lanka.The emerging markets of Asia present strong opportunities for British businesses, whose experience and expertise can be matched with the needs of these markets. The trading relationship between the UK and Sri Lanka is already well established.There are over 100 companies in Sri Lanka with UK affiliation across a wide range of sectors.
2013 was a record year for UK plc with business wins of over USD 3 billion and we are building on that success by organising this trade mission.
I am pleased that our visiting UK delegates have expressed interest in a wide range of sectors from construction and particularly tourism related infrastructure to education, ICT, insurance, real estate, aviation and maritime.’
The trade mission is supported by the Council for Business with Britain; the official partners are Sri Lankan Airlines, Cinnamon Grand Hotel and Quintessentially Lifestyle. It will continue until Friday, 28 November and will focus delegates towards the sectors identified as priority areas for development to make the island a regional hub, namely Aviation, Maritime, Commercial, Knowledge, Tourism and Energy.
Contact the UKTI team in Sri Lanka for more information and advice on opportunities for doing business in Sri Lanka.