CCC celebrates 171 years

CCC Media Unit

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) celebrates 171 years of exemplary service to the business community this year. Established on March 25, 1839, CCC is amongst the few legendary institutions in the Asia Pacific region to hold such an unbroken record.

CCC building

Over the years, CCC has evolved to cover all sectors of the economy and now identifies itself as a Confederation of Regional and Sectoral Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Trade Associations, Employer Associations and Bilateral Business Councils.

Playing a catalytic role in the development of the business sector, it initiates action to identify future trends, focuses on key issues, and assists in the development of strategic plans to meet new challenges and opportunities. It also maintains close links with the Government sector and multilateral aid agencies and provides a platform for the private sector to discuss issues affecting industry. CCC's role extends to that of an intermediary between the public and private sectors.

Placed in a position of pre-eminence in its membership coverage, business acumen and range of services, while being responsive to the needs of business in times of rapid change, it has expanded its scope and expertise to areas as diverse as human resources and education, law and order, financial and legal sector reforms, CSR and public awareness. It is further enriched with sector specific/regional experience and expertise through its approved Associations and Regional Chambers, which have taken it to the grass roots level of business.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has been recognized with the prestigious Business Superbrand status by the Superbrands Organization due to its untiring and committed efforts in many fields. Chief among the projects that have gained recognition for the Chamber include the Ten Best Corporate Citizen Awards, the Sri Lanka Economic Summit, GTZ supported SAARC and Trade promotion projects, Promotion of Eco-Efficient Productivity (PEP) project, Rain Forest Ecolodge, Career Guidance project, the Sri Lanka Norway matchmaking project, IMEXPRO Trade Fair, South Europe Meets South Asia (SEMSA), Youth Business Sri Lanka, the SWITCH-ASIA program and the Greening Sri Lankan Hotels project.

SWITCH-ASIA is a program that is now under way, funded by the European Commission, to select 500 SMEs from the Food and Beverage Industry and make them more viable and sustainable units by introducing better practices in terms of usage of materials, energy, water etc, in a bid to enhance their status to compete both at national and international levels.

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal with, (from left,) Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha, Switzerland Ambassador Ruth Flint, Netherlands Ambassador Leoni M. Cuelenaere and World Bank Country Director Dr. Naoko Ishii, after his presentation made at the Key Persons Forum on Lessons learnt from global financial crisis for the smaller economies at the Galle Face Hotel on Tuesday.

Greening Sri Lankan Hotels is another European Commission grant funded program under way in Sri Lanka, designed to enhance the environmental performance of Sri Lankan hotels through improvement of energy, water and waste management systems and reduce cost of operations and increase market acceptance of Sri Lankan hotels through promoting them as low carbon footprint green hotels. Youth Business Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan program of Youth Business International, which supports enterprising youth to start businesses through concessionary credit and business mentoring.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was the winner, for the third consecutive year, in the NGOs/NPOs (Not for Profit Organizations) sector at the Institute of Chartered Accountants' of Sri Lanka Annual Report Awards 2009 (the Chamber was the winner in same category in 2008 and 2007 as well as the Runner-Up in the 2006 Awards) and a Finalist at the World Chambers Competition "Best IT Project" in 2005. The CCC was also the recipient of the South Asia Best Presented Accounts, on two consecutive years, claiming Bronze and Merit awards respectively.

The CCC is certified under the BSENISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System and works towards its vision of being the Benchmark Chamber of Commerce in the Asia Pacific Region.

A primary member of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), it also holds membership of the World Chambers Federation, Paris, and is a member of the Sri Lanka Nation Council of the International Chamber of Commerce. CCC Solutions (Pvt) Ltd is the project arm of the CCC.

Today, the CCC comprises over 500 members with an outreach to over 3,500 organizations covering the entire spectrum of the business community ranging from sole proprietors to multinationals. Chamber members enjoy a range of benefits, including;

* Facilitation of business contacts with exporters, importers, service providers, manufacturers or joint venture partners, worldwide

* Promotion of business interests to markets as relevant through trade enquiries and the Business Information Portal

* Promotion and easy access to markets through regular inward and outward business promotion missions

* Compilation of value added information packages, customized to specific needs at a concessionary rate (statistical data for market research, evaluation of market trends etc)

Dr. Anura Ekanayake

* Speedy registration of Commercial Documents including the service through electronic means.

* Resolution of disputes through commercial mediation and commercial arbitration

* Automatic recognition/ acceptance of the company through the World Chambers' "Chamber Trust Seal" project

The Chamber's two auditoria and four meeting rooms are a popular venue for seminars, conferences and meetings. A state-of-the-art video conferencing facility is also available.

Under the leadership of Chairman, Dr. Anura Ekanayake, Vice Chairman Susantha Ratnayake and Deputy Vice Chairman, Suresh Shah, the CCC's activities are steered by Secretary General/CEO Harin Malwatte and supported by a highly experienced and qualified staff.