President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will inaugurate the much-anticipated Sri Lanka Investment Forum 2021 today at 8:30 a.m. A second session of the forum will commence at 1430 GMT/1000 EST to cater to audiences in Europe and the USA.
The three-day forum, organised by the Board of Investment, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Colombo Stock Exchange, will be Asia’s first and largest virtual forum to attract foreign investments. The event will provide an overall experience and comprehensive understanding of the FDI and Capital Market opportunities in Sri Lanka. Directed with this purpose, the event schedule comprises over 60 sessions covering two time zones, and expert insights from diverse industries.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will inaugurate day two of the forum, while day three will be inaugurated by State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal.
Justice Minister Ali Sabry and State Minister of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal and Community Cleanliness Nalaka Godahewa will also address the forum. Also speaking at the forum will be High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka Ambassador Gopal Baglay, Ambassador for the Republic of Korea in Sri Lanka Woonjin Jeong, Ambassador for Japan in Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama, and Ambassador for China in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Deputy Head of Mission Thorsten Bargfrede, and US Embassy in Sri Lanka Chargé d’Affaires Martin Kelly.
The respective country sessions will also be addressed by Ambassador for Sri Lanka in China Dr. Palitha Kohona, Ambassador for Sri Lanka in the US Ravinatha Aryasinha, Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Brussels and the Mission to EU Grace Asirwatham, Ambassador for Sri Lanka to the Republic of Korea Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Japan Sanjiv Gunasekara, High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in UK Saroja Sirisena, and Acting High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in New Delhi, India Niluka Kadurugamuwa.
Along with top policymakers, the forum will feature many sought-after international speakers coming together to share invaluable insights. World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad-Zervos, Axiata Group Berhad Managing Director/President and Group Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Izzaddin Idris, London Stock Exchange Group CEO David Schwimmer, Shangri-La Asia Ltd. Chairman and Executive Hui Kuok, IFC Regional Vice President - Asia and Pacific Alfonso Garcia Mora, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Managing Director and Partner Prateek Roongta, IFS CEO Darren Roos, and Tundra Fonder Chief Investment Officer Mattias Martinsson are a few of the galaxy of international speakers lined up for the forum. Further details can be found at www.invest-srilanka.lk.
SLIF 2021 is supported by the following partners and sponsors: International Finance Corporation (Knowledge Partner), Boston Consulting Group (Strategic Partner), Port City Sri Lanka (Flagship Project Partner), Microsoft (Technology Partner), HSBC (Banking Partner), Asia Securities (Platinum Sponsor), Shangri-La (Hospitability Partner), SLASSCOM (IT-BPM Sector Partner), FairFirst Insurance (Insurance Partner), Dialog ( Communication partner), Citibank (Gold Sponsor), CAL (Gold Sponsor), NSB Fund Management (Silver Sponsor), CT CLSA (Silver Sponsor), NDBIB (Silver Sponsor), Melstacorp (Bronze Sponsor), and Softlogic Stockbrokers (Bronze Sponsor).
(FT)