The 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC), part of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, recently took place with High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens, and High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, David Pine, serving as chief guests.
During the meeting, Udara Cumaratunga, Senior Manager Commercial and Marketing at South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt.) Ltd, was re-elected as President of the Council for 2024/25. The Vice Presidents elected for the upcoming year include Chandana Amaradasa (Island Leisure Lanka Pvt. Ltd), M.H.K.M. Hameez (Spillburg Holdings Pvt. Ltd), Lionel D.C. Silva (Lidechsi Group of Companies), and Jayanthi Dharmasena (Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd). Ruwan Rajapakse (Jiffy Products SL) will continue as immediate past president.
The newly appointed committee for 2024/25 features representatives from Abans PLC, ABC Pharma Services (Pvt.) Ltd, AG International (Pvt.) Ltd, ASL Logistics CMB (Pvt.) Ltd, CMA CGM Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Gnanam Imports (Pvt.) Ltd, Infomate Private Limited, MIT Global Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd, Nelna Agri Development, and Qantas Airways Ltd.
Cumaratunga addressed the gathering, emphasizing the contributions of Australia and New Zealand to Sri Lanka during the economic crisis. She outlined her vision for the year, which includes bolstering new business ventures, promoting trade delegations, and enhancing cooperation with trade missions. Cumaratunga highlighted the importance of strengthening ties between Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand across various sectors, including trade, services, tourism, education, and agriculture.
The SLANZBC continues to be a crucial platform for fostering trade, services, and tourism between the three nations, aiming to build stronger industry connections and explore new business opportunities.