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The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in association with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the Indian High Commission Colombo will organise a seminar on Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement-Constraints and the way forward on November 27 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Galadari Hotel. Exporters, importers and investors are expected to participate.

The Key Note address will be delivered by Shri Arun Goyal from the Academy of Business Studies, New Delhi an expert in international trade. Goyal is a regular contributor to "The Economic Times" of New Delhi and other publications with a strong commercial content and a large circulation. Shri Goyal's services are sought widely by the trade in India. He was also in Doha, Qatar recently where the Indian delegation made a strong impact on behalf of the developing countries in the WTO negotiations. In his speech, Goyal will make suggestions for ways and means to invigorate trade under the FTA. Accompanying him will be Smt. Rohini Puri, President of the Association of Buying Houses in India.

Trade and government circles here have been concerned about the slow movement of trade under the FTA. The tea industry and the garment industry here have expressed concern of non-tariff barriers at the Indian side being in the way of better performance by them. Textile exporters here have suggested various administrative impediments on the Indian side make difficult the utilisation of quotas agreed between the two governments under the Agreement. Indian investors in cement and steel industries in Sri Lanka also feel recent changes in duty structures have violated the understanding upon which they came in with their investments, a NCCSL spokesman said.

The Governor of the Central Bank, A.S. Jayawardena will be the chief guest at the seminar. The Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Indian High Commission, V. Ashok will participate in the panel discussion. Director-General of Commerce, M.G. Hewage, Dr. Saman Kelegama-the well-known economist, senior officials from Finance, Customs and the BOI woll alos be present.

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