The 31st Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Business Council (SLPBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held on 20th September, 2023 at the Hilton Colombo Residences with the presence of His Excellency Major General (Rtd) Umar Farooq Burki, High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka as the Chief Guest who is also the Patron of the Council and Admiral (Retd.) Ravindra Wijegunaratne, High Commissioner designated to Sri Lanka High Commission in Pakistan as the Guest of Honour.

Mr.  Indhra Kaushal Rajapaksa, Managing Director of the Kalhari Group of Companies was elected as the President of the Council at the AGM for the term 2023 - 2024.

Recognizing the Council's valuable contributions to advancing bilateral trade and investment, Mr. Somasundaram Deivanayagam, the departing President of the Council, emphasized the importance of bolstering Sri Lanka's trade equilibrium. He expressed the Council's strong endorsement for the formation of a Committee comprising representatives from essential government institutions. This Committee's primary mandate would be to undertake the necessary actions to foster trade growth and expand investment prospects between the two nations. Additionally, Mr. Deivanayagam underscored that the Council's discussions had centered on various shared interests, including the exchange of technical expertise.

In his address to the gathering, Mr. Indhra Kausal Rajapaksa, the newly elected President, expressed his views on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place, which marked Sri Lanka's second FTA and Pakistan's first. He noted with regret that this agreement has not yielded the desired outcomes, primarily due to bureaucratic hurdles, including non-tariff barriers. Nevertheless, he highlighted a reason for optimism, as both our Commerce Ministries are actively engaged in discussions aimed at resolving these issues. This promising development is expected to pave the way for smoother trade between our nations, benefiting all stakeholders involved.  Mr. Rajapaksa stressed the importance for the business community to seize the opportunities presented by these FTAs to advance their enterprises and assured that as facilitators, the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Business Council is fully prepared to provide assistance with any trade-related concerns and offer guidance to support these efforts.

H.E. Umar Farooq Burki assured the High Commission of Pakistan’s continuous support and facilitation to the Sri Lanka - Pakistan Business Council for times to come.  According to Sri Lanka Customs, bilateral trade stood at US$ 430 million in 2022 due to the economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka last year, down from US$ 473 million in 2021 - which was the highest registered figure in the last four years.

High Commissioner Burki reiterated that strengthening of bilateral trade and investment between Pakistan and Sri Lanka has been a top priority on the agenda as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and will continue to provide the full support and facilitation in order to realize the maximum economic potential between the two brotherly countries.

Mr. Shaameel Mohideen, Chief Executive Officer, Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and Mr. Wasantha de Silva, Managing Director, DMW Ventures Pvt Ltd were elected as the Vice Presidents, of the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Council for the period 2023 – 2024. Mr. Rohitha Thilakaratne, Managing Director, Merchant Lanka Private Ltd and Mr. Azmy Mohideen, Lanka Commodity Holdings will serve on the Committee as Hony. Members. Adamjee Lukmanjee & Sons, Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd., Creative Textile Mill Private Ltd., M.A. Razak & Company Pvt Ltd. and MAC Holdings Pvt Ltd. were elected to serve on the Committee for the period 2023 – 2024.

In recognition of Mr. Deivanayagam's exemplary service to the Council throughout his tenure as President, the Council honored him with the title of Honorary Member. Mr. Deivanayagam assumed the role of Immediate Past President/Honorary Member on the Council's Committee.

The Sri Lanka ‐ Pakistan Business Council was inaugurated in August, 1991 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to promote bilateral trade, tourism and investment between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and it serves as the recognized representative of business sector. The membership is open to companies already doing business with Pakistan or interested in venturing into Pakistan. To join the membership of the Council, contact the Secretariat at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce by E-mail businesscouncils@chamber.lk

Committee 2023 – 2024

Seated Left to Right

Shaameel Mohideen, Vice President, His Excellency Major General (Rtd) Umar Farooq Burki, High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Indhra Kaushal Rajapaksa, newly elected President, S. Deivanayagam, Immediate Past President, Lilakshini de Mel, Secretariat of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Wasantha de Silva, Vice President.

Standing from Left to Right

Azmy Mohideen, Lanka Commodity Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Dhammika Amarasingha, Adamjee Lukmanjee & Sons (Pvt) Ltd, Rohitha Thilakaratne, Merchant Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Gayan Maddumarachchi, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Feroze Haji Anver, Creative Textile Mill (Pvt) Limited and Shiraz Akbarally, Akbar Brothers Pvt Ltd.

Not in the photo - Ehab Razak, M.A. Razak & Company