Twelve Russian companies pledge investments:

Web portal for professional services

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Twelve Russian companies have consented to invest in Sri Lanka following the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Russia.

Investment Promotion and International Trade Minister Professor G.L Peiris said a delegation will arrive in Sri Lanka to have preliminary discussions early next month. The twelve companies representing key sectors of several industries such as energy, pre fabricated houses, fish processing and tourism and the private sector will reach maximum benefits from this opportunity.

Prof. Peiris who launched the national web portal for professional services yesterday said there will be enormous opportunities emerging in the country and the challenge is to make the maximum use of those opportunities for economic and social development.

“The country cannot concentrate only on physical commodities any more and it is high time to make use of human potential,” he said. Considering this factor the EDB has developed a National Web Portal for the professional services sector to create a positive image on Sri Lanka as a destination for quality professional services and to act as a central gateway to the Sri Lankan professional services sector, he said.

“Sri Lanka has a competitive edge over advanced economies because companies with equivalent professional qualifications and skills could have price advantage over those offered by similar companies in advanced economies,” he said. The portal will give an overview on the key professional service sectors illustrating Sri Lanka’s position, capabilities, skills and other strong points.

This will cover five areas namely accountancy and financial services, legal services, construction related services, IT and software development services and Ayurvedic services.