Sri Lanka has a wealth of innovators and change-makers who are already laying the foundations for launching a green and innovative economy, their input is also essential to economic policy development, said Chief Political and Economic Officer of the Embassy of the United States in Sri Lanka and The Maldives, Susan Walke. She was addressing the 2th AGM of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham SL)
“Sri Lanka has the drive, but the challenge lies in building the right environment for your innovative businesses to thrive,” she added.
She further expanded on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, and the partnership of the US Government on business resilience during the pandemic, as well as medical, financial and vaccine donations.
“Post-pandemic economic recovery is not possible without these types of partnerships. We want Sri Lanka to succeed. As President Biden said, there’s a fundamental truth in the 21st Century that our success is bound up with others succeeding as well.
The United States remains committed to supporting a more prosperous and inclusive Sri Lanka.
“There are endless exciting opportunities we can work on together based on the collaboration between our embassy and AmCham,” she concluded.
The new President for AmCham, Lakshan Madurasinghe (representative of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka) stated “It is true that we live in a very complex, fast-changing and volatile environment which includes as many opportunities as it does challenges. In these uncertain times, AmCham will continue to represent our members and support you to do more business.”
“Even though we find ourselves in times of a pandemic and economic crisis we must remain optimistic for a brighter future. We must look at the new horizon that awaits us with the same bold assertiveness, resilience, and adaptability we demonstrated when we were forced to adjust to the new normal.”
Sanjaya Mohottala, the Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka said, “We have invited American tech giants to explore the potential that Sri Lanka has to offer and establish their regional bases in Sri Lanka, as we would like to see more US-based companies coming into Sri Lanka.
This is the strength of the partnership that we have evolved too, where Trade and Industry bodies such as AmCham have become co-creators of our future, and where we are all invested in a common goal,” he concluded.
Outgoing President Presantha Jayamaha, who completed his two-year term, announced that AmCham SL recorded, for the second consecutive year, a net surplus of over Rs. 3 million at the end of the financial period ending 31st March 2021.
The Director’s Report further highlighted that while the usual Chamber activities were curtailed, AmCham SL experienced a significant increase in membership.
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