The 24^th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Germany Business Council was held recently, at the Hilton Colombo Residences, Colombo 2.

Chief guest at the event, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Germany in Sri Lanka, Mr. Olaf Malchow, acknowledged Sri Lanka’s efforts and positive results with regard to economic recovery. He however stressed that market liberalization, investment promotion and the implementation of robust-anti corruption measures would create the right conditions to set Sri Lanka more firmly on the path to sustainable growth.

Mr. Asoka Hettigoda, Chairman & Managing Director of Hettigoda Industries (Pvt) Ltd was elected by the Members as the President for the year 2023-2024. During his speech, he thanked the members for electing him as the president and stated that the Sri Lanka Germany Business Council would like to assure that they would do their utmost to increase Sri Lankan trade and investment with Germany.

In 1999, a proposal made by the Deputy Ambassador for Germany in Sri Lanka Dr. Hans Von Bothmer resulted in the formation of Sri Lanka – Germany Business Council and Late Mr. R Sivaratnam, Chairman and Managing Director, Aitken Spence & Co. Ltd., was appointed as the 1st President of the Council. For the last 24 years, Sri Lanka Germany Business Council has been fostering trade relations between the two countries and has extended yeoman service to both countries by bringing the value of trade to US $ 1.1 billion.

For the last 24 years, SLGBC has been fostering new initiatives and areas of corporation between business communities of the two countries with the exchange of trade missions, delegations, new investments and joint ventures and have extended yeoman service to both countries.

The Primary Objectives of the Sri Lanka Germany Business Council are:

• To promote trade, tourism and services between Sri Lanka and Germany
• To encourage German investment and establishment of joint ventures in Sri Lanka between German and Sri Lanka investors.
• To exchange information on trade and investment between the two countries
• To conduct and facilitate joint meetings with German business organizations
• To promote Sri Lankan participation in international fairs in Germany.

Mr. Karim Schadlou, General Manager, Hilton Colombo Residences and Mr. Roy Anthony, Director of C.G.V Anthony & Sons (Pvt) Ltd were elected as Vice Presidents. The Member Companies Air Global (Pvt) Ltd, Aitken Spence Cargo (Pvt) Ltd, Aitken Spence, Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Autobahn (Pvt) Ltd, Central Bearings and Machinery (Pvt) Ltd, Detroves Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Dial Textile Industries (Pvt) Ltd, Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and Malship (Ceylon) Ltd were elected to the Committee.

The outgoing President, Mr. Surendra Ediriweera, Managing Director, Ceylon Tours Ltd will continue to serve on the Committee as the Immediate Past President.

For further details regarding membership of the Council, please contact the Secretariat of the Sri Lanka – Germany Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, No. 50, Navam Mawatha, Colombo 2. E-mail: bizpromo@chamber.lk or Tel.: 011 5588829/ 5588800.

Executive Committee 2023/2024

Seated from left: Mr. Karim Schadlou, Vice president, Mr. Surendra Ediriweera, Immediate past president, Mr. Olaf Malchow, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Germany in Sri Lanka, Mr. Asoka Hettigoda, president, Ms. Julianne Boulton, Secretariat of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Roy Anthony, Vice president

Standing left to right (Committee members):  Ms. Dhilmini Palipane, Mr. Rajieve Fernando, Mr. Sudath Tennakoon, Mr. Suranga Ratnayake, Mr. Gayan Maddumarachchi, Mr. Nalaka Amaratunga, Mr. Gerard Victoria, Mr. Aflal Khan Ismail, Mr. Mark Francis, Ms. Amanthi Silva, Secretariat of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce