Trade and investment promotion mission to Vietnam
The Sri Lanka - Vietnam Business Council (SLVBC) of the Ceylon
Chamber of Commerce will organize a Trade and Investment promotion
mission to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam from March 4 to 8. “It will
certainly boost economic ties between Sri Lanka and Vietnam,” said
Ambassador for Vietnam Ton Sinh Thanh, at the networking session held at
the Embassy of Vietnam in Colombo.
The team: Andre Fernando, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Phung Trong
Tuan, Embassy of Vietnam, Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma, Dipped Products
PLC, Ton Sinh Thanh, Ambassador for Vietnam, Anton Godfrey,
President of Sri Lanka - Vietnam Business Council/CEO AG
International (Pvt) Ltd., Patrick Rodrigo, Walker Sons Ltd.,
Lilakshini de Mel, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Rohitha
Tillekeratne, Merchant Lanka Pvt Ltd., Nasleen Jayawardana,
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo and Sirimal Fernando, Astron Ltd. |
The newly appointed Committee of the Sri Lanka - Vietnam Business
Council (SLVBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce paid a courtesy call
on Ambassador Thanh to renew the strong ties established between the
Council and the Embassy of Vietnam in Colombo. Recalling the numerous
activities successfully concluded by the Council, the Ambassador assured
his fullest co-operation for the proposed trade and investment promotion
mission.
The main objectives of the mission are enhancing trade, tourism and
investment promotion between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The delegates would
be provided with an opportunity to meet key government officials in
Vietnam and visits have already been planned to various high tech
industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh.
It was also emphasised that many opportunities are in the pipeline to
attract investment from Vietnam to Sri Lanka in the areas such as
manufacturing of machinery for agro industry, food processing, fisheries
and oil exploration. However, due to inadequate publicity and awareness
amongst the potential business partners in Vietnam, the present
investment is remarkably low compared to total Vietnamese investment
overseas amounting to US$ 10 billion.
President of the Council Anton Godfrey, assured that SLVBC in
association with the Embassy of Vietnam, will launch regular awareness
programmes for the benefit of business community encouraging more
inbound and outbound travel between the two countries. Some of the key
activities planned for 2012 are issuing of newsletters, posting of news
articles on the www.srilankavietnambiz.lk web site and organising a
seminar on “Doing Successful Business in Vietnam”.
The Ambassador and three key business personalities who have already
established successful businesses in Vietnam will address the gathering
at the seminar scheduled to be held in early May 2012. In addition, the
Council is looking at the possibility of organizing a Single Country
Trade Fair in Vietnam during 2012.
On behalf of the members of the Council, the Ambassador assured
issuance of necessary travel documents within a short time span.
The Council applauded the decision of since this mechanism will
further improve outbound travel from Sri Lanka to Vietnam in the near
future. |