Tangible benefits through investment promotion in Japan

A series of investment promotion events organized by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan concluded, recently.

The events included a business forum in Osaka, Kansai, supported by Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries and about 60 Kansai-based companies attended the event.

The promotional events were co-organized by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tokyo under the Economic Diplomacy Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Economic Diplomacy Programme, in operation in 10 Sri Lankan Missions abroad, will bring tangible benefits to Sri Lanka in emerging markets through economic promotional activities.

The Board of Investment team additionally conducted business seminars in Nagoya and Tokyo and held several follow-up bilateral discussions in Tokyo with Japanese counterparts.

The event commenced with introductory remarks by Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan Prof. Dammika Ganganath Dissanayake where he highlighted the strengthening bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Japan, referring to the high-level political and business interactions that took place earlier this year.

This was followed by a technical presentation by Managing Director of Bansei Group Hiroyuki Ota, who explained their target markets in Sri Lanka.

Bansei group in Japan has business interests in Sri Lanka including the financial, hotel and trading sectors. Executive Director of the BOI Prasanjith Wijethilake made a presentation on the investment policies in Sri Lanka.

Coinciding with the BOI delegation visit, the Embassy arranged for the signing of obtaining Honorary Membership of The Japan Institute for Overseas Investment (JOI). The JOI collects and analyzes a wide range of information beneficial foreign direct investment (FDI), aims to facilitate sound and smooth FDI from Japan and to contribute to the expansion of international economic cooperation with many countries around the world.

The Embassy also arranged bilateral meetings with MUFG bank, with whom BOI had entered into an MOU to promote investments between the two countries. The BOI team also met with Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, one of the largest accounting and professional service networks in Japan and discussed matters pertaining to FDI promotion.