CII ‘Partnership Summit 2008’:

Lanka calls for more Indian investments

Sri Lanka yesterday stated that India — South Asia’s economic powerhouse — has always been a preferred partner and called for more Indian investments in the island nation.

Addressing a session at the CII ‘Partnership Summit 2008’ on ‘Sri Lanka— A Business Perspective’, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion - Dr Sarath Amunugama said historical and geographical links have established close ties between the two nations with leading Indian business houses making their presence felt in Sri Lanka long before independence.

“It was important to build upon these relationships and enhance the bonds of partnership further,” he stressed.

India’s leading business chamber CII or Confederation of Indian Industry is organising the three-day partnership summit beginning today at Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi.

Also addressing the session, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Export Development International Trade, Prof G L Peiris urged upon the necessity to increase the threshold of awareness among the industrial fraternity in both countries about the potential benefits of such instruments.

“This would strengthen levels of bilateral economic cooperation and investment further,” he added. Sri Lanka had a lot to offer to Indian companies in terms of good infrastructure facilities, liberalised FDI rules, and talented human resource base. Finance and banking were key growth areas in addition to the emerging software and BPO base.

KUNA