Says area will be’ future success story ‘
PUBLISHED: 4 Apr 2025 at 05: 57
Sri Lanka’s social balance and sense of hope will force it to become” the world’s second success account”, and buyers are “invited to be a part of it”, the country’s prime minister, Harini Amarasuriya, said on Thursday at an expense conference in Bangkok.
She presented investment options to a room full of local and international organization people willing to learn more about the island’s possible.
The event was held on the sidelines of the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation ( Bimstec), which Bangkok will be hosting from April 2-4.
Ms Harini, who was installed in business last September, said her state has overseen evidence of economic recovery, especially in the aftermath of the political difficulties in 2022 triggered by an economic issue.
The region has seen a boom in international arrivals since the launch of this year and hopes 2025 may see a record number of tourists, said Ms Harini.
Sri Lanka is the only country to have free trade agreements with both India and Pakistan, giving duty-free access to over 1.5 billion client businesses, she noted.
” We are looking to improve our relationships with colleagues in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. We are even looking to non-traditional companions, looking frontward”, she said.
Thailand and Sri Lanka discuss such heavy social roots, somewhat in Buddhism, even though Sri Lanka is a democratic society and house to all the world’s major religions, Ms Harini said.
From 2008 to 2024, Thailand contributed US$ 97 million to Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investment.
The two nations have an FTA that covers investments and services beyond trade in goods.
Dilan Samarakoon, president of the Thai-Sri Lanka chamber of commerce, said this is the start of Sri Lanka’s “new era” as the country is pursuing robust infrastructure development along with a more highly skilled workforce.
Sri Lanka is also building a strategic economic project dubbed” Port City Colombo”, the first multi-services special economic zone, Mr Dilan said, with top sectors for investors including pharmaceuticals, electronics, and automobiles and parts.