Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2016 by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Sri Lanka's economic growth potential is not unknown. Its strategic geographical location, proximity and access to growing markets in Asia, high basic development indicators, and human and environmental assets, put it on a strong footing to be a star performer in Asia. Yet, the ability to transform this clear potential into strong performance seems to be elusive. What is required now is to move from issues to solutions, from potential to performance, and from rhetoric to action. The focus of this year's Sri Lanka Economic Summit is precisely that; transforming Sri Lanka's potential with action.

This year's Summit brings together a unique mix of those who know it and those who have done it. Speakers include top names from across the world who, through focussed action and high performance, have made progress and made a change. Sessions are structured to ensure that participants understand the issues, but are swiftly moved on to discussing possible solutions and feasible action. Speakers will highlight good practices from other contexts and distill lessons for Sri Lanka's own economic transformation.

The Session on Private-Public Partnerships will discuss specific actions that need to be taken to mobilise private investment to meet public policy challenges, including good practices in devising PPPs that balance investor and government interests.

The Session on talent and human resources will attempt to overcome conventional thinking, to take a

close look at practical options for Sri Lanka to meet emerging skill needs through liberalizing inward migration for certain sectors, attracting back skilled workers in the diaspora, and improving the climate for young people to thrive.

In the session on Tourism, speakers will discuss what it will take to position Sri Lanka strongly in overseas travel markets, attracting investment and quality tourists, and navigate new challenges brought on by the digital economy and informality.

The session on international logistics and trade will explore what concrete steps need to be taken to leverage on Sri Lanka's location, including attracting international players into the country's logistics industry, modernizing infrastructure with private sector partnerships, and linking into global value chains.

In the session on agriculture, speakers will take an incisive look at why existing agricultural and land policies are holding back productivity in the sector, what short and long term options are available to transform plantations given the political economy sensitivities, and how to boost agribusinesses.

With the state-owned enterprise sector still playing a dominant role in the economy and the public sector expected to deliver on economic transformation, the final session will explore what reforms are needed in the public sector to enable faster growth.

Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2016 -Day 1 (Tuesday, 2nd August 2016)

08:00 hrs: Registration

0900 – 0930 hrs: Inaugural Session

0930 – 1100 hrs: Session 1

Accelerating Growth, Pushing for Performance

Keynote Speakers:  Hon Ravi Karunanayake – Minister of Finance

Panelists: Mr Weerakoon Wijewardena – Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Prof Razeen Sally – Chairman, Institute of Policy Studies

Moderator: Mr Suresh Shah – Immdt Past Chairman, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

1100 – 1130 hrs Tea Break

1130 – 1300 hrs Session 2

Private Public Partnerships – Getting Them Done, Getting Them Right

Keynote Speakers: Mr Gajendra Haldea – Advisor, Government of Rajasthan, India,

Hon Eran Wickramarathne – Deputy Minister of State Enterprises and Entrepreneurship,

Mr Kamal Dorabawila – Principal Investment Officer, IFC

Panelists: Mr Romesh David – President, Transportation and Information Technology, John Keells Holdings,

Mr Thilan Wijesinghe – Chairman, TWCorp

Moderator: Ms Helani Galpaya – CEO, LIRNEasia

1400 – 1530 hrs Session 3

Tourism – Delivering the Potential

Keynote Speakers: Mr Michael Cottan – Executive Vice President, Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd

Mr Andrew Fairley – Director, Tourism Australia

Mr Mike Orgill – Director, Public Policy Asia Pacific, AirBnB

Mr Jörn Krausser – Vice President Intercontinental Travel, DERTOUR

Panelist: Mr Krishan Balendra – President Leisure Sector, John Keells Holdings PLC

Moderator: Ms Shiromal Cooray – Managing Director, Jetwing Travels

1530 – 1600 hrs Tea break

1600 – 1730 hrs Session 4

International Trade and Logistics – Leveraging on Location

Keynote Speakers: Mr Sarathkumara Premachandra – Managing Director, Sri Lanka Ports Authority

Mr Steve Saxon – Expert Partner, McKinsey & Company

Dr Saman Kalegama – Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies

Panelists: Hon Dr Harsha de Silva – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr Tissa Wickramasinghe – General Manager (Commercial & Marketing), Colombo International Container Terminals

Moderator: Mr Thilan Wijesinghe – Chairman, TWCorp

DAY 2 (Wednesday, 3rd August 2016)

0900 – 1030 hrs Session 5

Growing Sri Lanka's Talent Pool – Reality Check & Pragmatic Options

Keynote Speakers: Dr Mohd Gazali Abas – Deputy Secretary-General (Operations), Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia

Mr Rajan Anandan – Managing Director, Google India

Panelists: Mr Ashroff Omar – Chief Executive Officer, Brandix Lanka

Mr Keith Modder – Chief Operating Officer, Virtusa

Mr Ranjith Gunatilleke – Managing Director, Sanken Construction

Moderator: Mr Shamindra Kulamannage – Editor-in-Chief, Echelon

1030 – 1100 hrs Tea break

1100 – 1230 hrs Session 6

Commercial Agriculture – Tackling the Competitiveness and Political Challenges

Keynote Speakers: Dr Romesh Dias Bandaranaike – Chairman, Science Land

Mr Desmond Sheehy – Managing Director / Chief Investment Officer, Duxton Asset Management

Panelists: Mr Waruna Madawanarachchi – Chief Executive Officer, CIC Seeds

Dr Upali Ranasinghe – Chairman, CR Exports

Mrs Indira Malwatta – Chairperson, Export Development Board

Mr Roshan Rajadurai – Managing Director, Kelani Valley Plantation

Moderator: Dr Anura Ekanayake – Past Chairman, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

1330 – 1500 hrs Session 7

The Future of Public Enterprises

Keynote Speakers: Dato Sri Idris Jala – Chief Executive Officer, PEMANDU

Hon Kabir Hashim – Minister of Public Enterprises Development

Hon Mangala Samaraweera – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Hon Anura Kumara Dissanayake – Member of Parliament

Moderator: Mr Anushka Wijesinha – Chief Economist, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

1500 – 1600 hrs Closing Session

1630 hrs Refreshments & Networking

Close of Summit

Investment:

Local Participants

Single participant (Patron Member company): @ LKR 25,000/- (including local taxes)

Single participant (Member company) : @ LKR 27,000/- (including local taxes)

Single participant (non-Member company) : @ LKR 30,000/- (including local taxes)

For 3 or more participants : @ LKR 25,000/- (including local taxes)

Foreign Participants: @ USD 250/-

Please send this form duly completed to: The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, # 50 Navam Mawatha, Colombo 2, Sri Lanka contact 011 5588852 / 5588877