The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce announced the re-election of its Board for the Year 2024/25 at the Chamber’s 185^th Annual General Meeting on June 27.

The re-elected Board comprises Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa – Country Managing Partner for Sri Lanka and The Maldives, Ernst & Young, Vice Chairman Krishan Balendra – Chairman John Keells Holdings PLC, and Deputy Vice Chairman Bingumal Thewarathanthri – CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka.  Amal Cabraal – Chairman, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson – Non-Executive Director, Hemas Holdings PLC, Sarah Ganegoda – Executive Director, Hayleys PLC, Supun Weerasinghe – Director/Group CEO – Dialog Axiata PLC, Vinod Hirdaramani – Chairman, Hirdaramani Group, and Buwanekabahu Perera – Secretary General/CEO of the Ceylon Chamber.

Founder and CEO of WSO2 and technology pioneer Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana addressed the event as the Chief Guest. Dr. Weerawarana highlighted the importance of supporting Sri Lankan enterprises to reach their full potential as a driver of economic growth, stressing that ‘if you want to help Sri Lankan product companies, buy Sri Lankan products, and don’t buy them cheap. Empower people who have good ideas with the right amount of funding and the support they need, supporting them to compete on the global stage’.

In his remarks, Chamber Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa highlighted the need for continued economic reforms and political stability to ensure sustained growth. He highlighted that over the past year, the Chamber has worked extensively on initiatives focused on policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and expanding market access for its Members.

‘The Chamber engaged extensively with the President, opposition parties, multilateral institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, etc. and contributed extensively to trade negotiations with Thailand, India, and China, ensuring that the private sector's voice is heard in major economic decisions.  Trade facilitation efforts include a focus on promoting exports and helping Members explore new markets and integrate more deeply into global trade networks’, he said.

Looking ahead, the Chamber is committed to leading the private sector towards sustained economic stability and growth, advocating for pro-growth policies and facilitating growth opportunities for Members, he added.