The Sri Lanka – Benelux Business Council (SLBBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce conducted its 31st Annual General Meeting recently.

Chief Guest, His Excellency Wiebe de Boer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, during his address, highlighted the enduring relevance of the Benelux union as a sandbox for further European Intergration – including its role in linking Sri Lankan exporters to the Port of Rotterdam. The Ambassador confirmed that Sri Lanka's GSP+ access remains in place until 2029, with a two-year window to reapply under a new regime, and expressed hope that Sri Lanka could eventually progress from GSP+ to a full Free Trade Agreement with the EU, similar to the EU-India FTA signed this year. He also raised concerns over bureaucratic hurdles facing entrepreneurs, citing delays in quality-control clearances and restrictive foreign investment caps.

President of the Council Mr. Farhath Amith reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka – Benelux trade and investment ties, calling for continued Benelux support to extend Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status by a further five years. He highlighted key sectors for greater collaboration, including renewable energy (targeting 70% renewable electricity generation by 2030), floriculture, agriculture and agro-processing (including GI-certifiable crops such as cocoa and vanilla), eco-tourism, the coconut industry, and healthcare. He also called for a long-overdue business promotion mission to the Netherlands.

The President highlighted that the process of selecting Sri Lankan spices and agricultural commodities for GI Certification has been very slow over the years, causing the country to miss out on expanding export market opportunities to the EU. He noted that there is no delay on the part of Sri Lanka’s regulatory and competent authorities in supporting stakeholder GI authorities with the required information.

He further highlighted that, with the Netherlands serving as the gateway for the floriculture industry in the EU, Sri Lanka should be considered as the hub in South Asia for the tropical ornamental plants and cut-foliage trade.

Mr. Farhath Amith, Director of Fanam International (Pvt) Ltd, was re-elected President for the 2026/2027 term, while Mr. Shaameel Mohideen (Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd) and Mr. P. M. Abeysekara (Vinu International Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd) were reappointed Senior Vice President and vice President respectively. The Council also elected committee members representing Andrew The Travel Company (Pvt) Ltd, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Maliban Healthcare (Pvt) Ltd, Propylon One Private Limited, Sri Lanka Technology Development Corporate Society, and Thames International Educational Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd. Mr. Sajith Wijenayake, Assistant Vice President of Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd will continue to serve on the Committee as Immediate Past President.

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