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How global MNCs can help bring USD into Sri Lanka

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4 years ago

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By Santosh Menon, Director, World for Lanka.

S/h-Motivates all their global employees and consumers to help Sri Lanka at this time of great need.I was recently checking out the website of a global MNC that is a huge player in the FMCG segment in Sri Lanka, and they said they operated in over 190 countries and had over 3.6 billion consumers worldwide.

A well-known No.1 global FMCG brand that dominates the market in Sri Lanka is present in 200 countries and claims to sell 1.9 billion servings daily, whereas the No. 2 global FMCG brand in Sri Lanka claims to be present in 200 countries and sells 1 billion servings daily.

A well-known global food company with famous brands and a sizable market share in Sri Lanka claimed on its website to have paid out 160 billion USD in cash to shareholders globally over a 15-year period. A major search engine claims that its product reaches 3.6 billion people worldwide, whereas a well-known social media brand claims to have 2.9 billion users.

What’s more, each of these global brands currently operates in Sri Lanka.

Let us review what Sri Lanka needs now and how these major global players can assist the country. According to recently published media reports, Sri Lanka currently requires somewhere between 5 billion USD for six months and 9 billion USD this year. This would ensure that people can afford essential necessities like fuel, food, and medicine, allowing them to lead regular lives and preventing the economy from coming to a complete standstill (we have already seen it happen). This also ensures that individuals receive the basic medical care required to maintain their health and that emergency medical care is available when necessary.

So what typically happens when a country does not have enough foreign currency to acquire the fundamental necessities? – It asks financial institutions for assistance, asks its diaspora to bring in the USD, seeks more exports, or tries to attract investments. It also asks friendly nations for loans or credit lines. We can see all of these happening. An Indian credit line has been obtained. I believe there are talks going on for a Chinese credit line. There is a conversation with the IMF. An effort is being made to urge the diaspora to send money back home using the banking system. To increase Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves, the central bank is working with exporters to make sure that all of their profits are being brought home. There are also discussions about how to boost investments, although this is a challenging task at the moment given the current political and economic climate.

So what else can be done? How can global MNCs contribute?

One must admit that these businesses are already accomplishing a lot; in the majority of cases, they continue to operate factories, keep employees motivated, pay salaries, and provide their Sri Lankan teams with a sense of security during these unpredictable times. Everyone in the nation suffers when the nation is suffering. Global MNCs are also no different. Additionally, they have been observed making donations from their CSR budgets to aid the humanitarian situation.

But what if I said that if global MNCs used their global system to help the country, they might be able to bring in enormous amounts of funds?These MNCs have access to an asset that, if they so choose, can be used to significantly assist Sri Lanka at this pivotal juncture in the nation’s history.To reach their customers, this asset consists of a sizable marketing infrastructure.Also, these customers are generous donors. Donors are expected to have given 4.6 billion USD to philanthropic causes in the US alone in 2020, but this is only one nation. Imagine having access to the 200 nations that these multinational corporations do.

It is simple to target these donors—who are the customers of multinational corporations (MNCs) and digital businesses—online with content that will inspire them to donate and lessen Sri Lanka’s suffering. There are 4.6 billion users online, for context. Global netizens are what they are known as, and in the modern world, we can use digital media to directly address them.

Technically, Sri Lanka’s needs for the upcoming year will be met by merely 2 USD from each of the world’s 4.6 billion internet users.If the leading digital companies (the social media and search engine giants) grant internet users access to their customer databases, and if they can be persuasively shown how just a few dollars from each of them would guarantee Sri Lanka and its population a normal life in 2022 or 2023, then we might witness unhindered foreign exchange flow.

So here are three things that global MNCs can do to help Sri Lanka out of this dilemma, with different degrees of impact.Using its staff and global network, it will raise awareness and provide money to Sri Lanka.Target international donors through social media and digital media with an effective and persuasive campaign to encourage USD inflow into Sri Lanka from selected regions.Utilize its products to raise money for Sri Lanka by increasing awareness of the issue there in international markets.

What are the benefits for the Global MNCs if they do this for Sri Lanka?

Companies and brands that are seen to support communities and engage with them are more likely to be preferred by consumers, who then become more devoted to their brands. This is a chance to inspire devotion and show genuine kindness.

There is a chance to shift people’s perceptions of some MNCs from being purely profit-driven organizations to ones with hearts and conscience. A multinational corporation (MNC) will be regarded as a really ground-breaking business if it can mobilize money from donors all over the world to aid Sri Lanka. By bringing money into Sri Lanka, they will also aid in boosting the country’s economy, which will benefit their own businesses and brands.

Now is the perfect opportunity for global corporations to show Sri Lankans that they truly care about them and to show the rest of the world how they can legitimately provide value by aiding a nation in getting out of a crisis. This is done by using their most innovative and top-tier global talent to tackle regional problems and by addressing them. What is needed is local leadership that can activate this program by convincing the global entity to prioritize Sri Lanka and navigating the global organizations’ processes. Let’s hope the multinational corporations (MNCs) present in Sri Lanka can exercise their powerful muscles when it counts most for Sri Lanka.


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Pelwatte Dairy commissions Sri Lanka’s largest dairy effluent treatment plant to advance ESG leadership and global market readiness

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2 hours ago

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2026/06/18

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Akmal Wickramanayake, Managing Director of Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited, unveils the commemorative plaque to officially inaugurate the company’s Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, reaffirming Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and sustainable dairy processing.

Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited has successfully commissioned its state-of-the-art Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and responsible dairy processing.

This facility is the largest Effluent Treatment Plant within a dairy processing operation in Sri Lanka, underscoring Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to aligning its operations with global environmental standards and strengthening its position in international markets.

Strategic Commitment to ESG and Responsible Growth

This investment reflects a deliberate and forward-looking strategy by the Board of Directors to embed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into core operations. As Pelwatte Dairy continues to scale its processing capacity and expand its export footprint, environmental compliance has become a central pillar of sustainable growth.

The ETP has been designed to meet the increasingly stringent environmental expectations of Western, European, and Far Eastern markets, where compliance with wastewater discharge standards, environmental reporting, and sustainability practices are essential for market access.

Future-Proofed Design for Scalable Growth

The facility has a base treatment capacity of 250 m³ per day, with the engineered capability to handle peak volumes of up to 325 m³, representing approximately 30% additional capacity to accommodate future growth in processing volumes. [ETP Opening | Word]

This future-ready design ensures that Pelwatte Dairy can maintain consistent environmental performance even under high production scenarios, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long-term compliance, operational resilience, and responsible expansion.

Advanced Technology Supporting Global Compliance

The ETP integrates advanced treatment technologies, including:

Integrated Dissolved Air Flotation (IDAF)

Anaerobic and Enhanced Sequential Batch Reactor (AnSBR/eSBR) systems

Dedicated CIP wastewater management

Real-time automated process monitoring

Screw press sludge dewatering

These systems ensure high treatment efficiency and compliance with critical environmental parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and nutrient discharge limits.

The plant is fully aligned with Sri Lanka’s stringent Central Environmental Authority (CEA) discharge standards and supports adherence to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) practices, reinforcing Pelwatte Dairy’s structured approach to environmental management and continuous improvement.

Regulatory Engagement and Endorsement

The inauguration ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives from the Board of Investment (BOI) Environmental Division and Central Environmental Authority (CEA) provincial and district offices, reflecting strong regulatory engagement and endorsement of the environmental standards achieved through this investment.

Their presence underscores Pelwatte Dairy’s proactive approach in working closely with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with national environmental frameworks while aligning with global best practices.

Enhancing Global Credibility of Sri Lankan Dairy

With this development, Pelwatte Dairy strengthens its position as a responsible and globally competitive dairy processor, capable of meeting the environmental expectations of leading international buyers and regulatory bodies.

This initiative not only enhances the company’s ESG profile but also contributes to elevating the sustainability standards of Sri Lanka’s dairy industry.

Acknowledgements

Pelwatte Dairy extends its sincere appreciation to its project team, operational staff, consultants, regulatory authorities, and partners for their contributions. Special recognition is extended to Industrial Solutions Lanka (Pvt) Limited for their engineering expertise and successful project delivery.

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Port City Colombo Forum in Dubai positions Sri Lanka as South Asia’s gateway for UAE business expansion

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2 hours ago

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2026/06/18

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Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates

Exclusive invitation-only engagement at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC brought together approximately 200 senior UAE business and diplomatic leaders to explore Sri Lanka’s role as a platform for regional growth

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in collaboration with Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd., hosted Globalisation and the Sri Lankan Opportunity – From Recovery to Relevance: Sri Lanka’s Moment in the Evolving Global and Regional Economy, an invitation-only diplomatic and investment engagement at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre.

The forum brought together approximately 200 senior leaders from across UAE corporates and business chambers alongside Sri Lanka’s most senior diplomatic and investment representatives – among them senior executives from Sobha Realty, Binghatti, Oracle, Emirates Airlines, First Abu Dhabi Bank, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, IFS, Danube and Samana Developers – reflecting the depth of interest from the UAE’s leading industries in Sri Lanka’s evolving economic proposition.

Opening the forum, Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates, set the tone for a morning of substantive dialogue, speaking to the depth and durability of the UAE–Sri Lanka partnership, one built on decades of trade, people, and shared economic ambition, and affirming Sri Lanka’s commitment to taking that relationship into a new chapter defined by what Sri Lanka can offer UAE businesses seeking to grow their presence across South Asia.

The keynote address was delivered by Ghanim Al Falasi, CEO of Falak Tayyeb Platinum and Senior Vice President/Director General’s Office for of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), who drew on over a decade of senior leadership experience in the UAE’s innovation and technology ecosystem to frame the question of what South Asia’s emerging platforms offer to forward-looking UAE businesses. He noted that while Dubai provides global access to capital and logistics, Colombo offers strategic access to South Asia, and that together the two cities can function as complementary platforms serving different but mutually reinforcing roles in the regional economy.

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The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to hold 187th AGM

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2 hours ago

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2026/06/18

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The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will convene its 187th Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 25th June 2026, at 5.30 PM at The Forum, Cinnamon Life.

This year’s gathering welcomes His Excellency Andrew Patrick, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka, as Chief Guest, who will deliver the keynote address. His presence reflects the close and longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, and is especially fitting at a juncture when strengthening trade ties, investor confidence, and sustained economic reform remain front of mind for the nation’s business community.

Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber, Krishan Balendra, will also address the audience, reflecting on a year of progress and setting out the priorities ahead. His remarks will provide an overview of the Ceylon Chamber’s continued push to sharpen private sector competitiveness, drive evidence-based policy advocacy, and anchor long-term economic stability.

Following the formal proceedings, members and guests are invited to a networking reception.

Ceylon Chamber members wishing to attend may register by contacting Alikie at alikie@chamber.lk / 9411 558 8805.

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