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| Friday, 5 December 2003 |
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Meeting place for Lankan business executives in Lyon Opening new windows for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to markets in France and their French counterparts in Sri Lanka, a meeting place for both parties, Maison de Ceylan (House of Sri Lanka) was formed in Lyon, the second largest city in France last week. Lyon, with a population of over 1.2 million, is the capital of the Rhone-Alps region. The area has a booming economy with a GDP over ten per cent above the European average. The Rhone-Alps is conveniently placed geographically to access the markets of Switzerland, Germany, the Iberian peninsula, and Italy's industrial north, while Paris, is a mere two hours away by high speed rail link. Just as Sri Lanka is being promoted as a gateway for French companies to enter South Asia, the region is being promoted as a gateway for Sri Lankan companies to enter continental Europe. Besides its important location, the Maison de Ceylan will be able to offer essential business services to Sri Lankan companies looking to enter the continent. 86 pre cent of French business operators in France don't speak English. In addition to complete language services, the Maison will provide a place for the companies to showcase their products, hold meetings, and conduct sales while the 8,000 member strong CGPME can ensure that potential customers are never in short supply. The main partner of the Franco Sri Lanka Business Confederation (FSLBC) in Europe is the CGPME (Confederation of small and medium sized companies) of France. The two organisations have undertaken to promote commercial contacts between the two countries as well as cooperation between their respective chambers of commerce. All of the FSLBC's promotion of Sri Lanka as a destination for European companies has been undertaken privately, without the financial support of either the French or Sri Lankan Governments. The FSLBC was founded four years ago as a collaboration between Sri Lankan businessman and former University of Lyon lecturer Tima Lazarus and the Sri Lankan Ambassador to France at the time, Prof. Senake Bandaranayke. The idea behind the council was to provide support for Sri Lankan businessmen facing an uphill battle to introduce their products to the continental European market, as well as provide an opportunity for French businessmen to learn about what South Asia can offer them. With the improved peace situation, the FSLBC has recently been able to promote Sri Lanka as an ideal gateway for companies seeking entry into the rest of subcontinent. Sri Lanka's strategic position on the trade routes of the Indian Ocean make it a natural section for a transport hub. As the country shares cultural and language ties with the rest of the region, the manageable size of the population offers the perfect test market for new products and services. Low labour costs and high standards of education make outsourcing to the country and even total local production, a viable option. Should the Sri Lankan market eventually prove too small for ambitious foreign investors, there is the high tourist traffic of the nearby Maldives, and a short hop across the Palk Strait brings south India and a further 200 million people. Where the FSLBC differs from the BOI or other parties seeking to promote Sri Lanka as an investment opportunity is the size of the businesses they target. While others are primarily interested in attracting major foreign multi-national companies, the council is taking the opposite approach. Following the thinking that all big companies were small at some point in time, the focus on the companies that will be at the up-and-coming growth centre of the global economy, the small and medium sized enterprises. |
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