Business

CA Sri Lanka’s 41st National Conference set to navigate through ‘shattered norms’

Published

3 years ago

2020/10/2

The 41st National Conference which is dubbed Sri Lanka’s biggest business summit will be held from 02nd to 04th December 2020 at the BMICH, Colombo under the theme “Abnormal: Navigating through shattered norms.”

For the first time in its four-decade long history, this year’s conference will take on a hybrid format with a combination of traditional physical sessions as well as virtual sessions due to the prevailing COVID-19 global pandemic and due to the limited number of participants permitted this year at the venue.

Addressing a press conference organised to unveil the theme of this year’s conference, President of CA Sri Lanka Manil Jayesinghe highlighted that exceptional times such as these call for exceptional measures. “Sri Lanka is known for its fair share of man-made and natural disasters, but COVID-19 is perhaps the biggest challenge we are facing in our lifetime. Therefore, it is imperative that professional bodies such as CA Sri Lanka come forward to help navigate the professional community including Chartered Accountants through such unchartered territories,” he said.

Chairman of the Conference Committee, Tishan Subasinghe said, “I believe this conference will be an important platform to engage and assess the issues facing us all, and also explore solutions from the perspective of the accounting profession, how we can assist the corporate world to embrace the abnormal and create new and innovative businesses.

Chairperson of the National Conference Technical Committee, Ms. Anoji De Silva highlighted that despite the gloom since COVID-19, the pandemic has actually given many an opportunity to ‘redefine’ and come up with a new corporate culture which focuses on stakeholder capitalism and not just shareholder profit. “We must use the pandemic as an opportunity to redefine our values which will ultimately have a long-term sustainable benefit to all stakeholders,” she said.

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Business

President outlines a bold vision for Sri Lanka tourism at THASL’s 58th AGM

Published

3 hours ago

2023/11/28

Priyan

Addressing the 58th Annual General Meeting of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) held on Monday (27) at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined a comprehensive strategy to propel the country’s tourism sector to new heights. Focused on surpassing the target of 5 million tourists and redefining traditional approaches, the President’s vision extends to achieving 7.5 million visitors in the coming years. The President emphasized the need for innovative thinking and collaboration within the industry to ensure sustainable growth.

“When I took over the government, I realized that sustainability alone is not sufficient. How are we going to earn foreign exchange? How are we going to have a positive balance of trade? In that, there were many suggestions. But what is the low-hanging fruit? And one of the low-hanging fruits was tourism. Let’s promote tourism fully,” President Wickremesinghe declared.

The President acknowledged the need to move beyond the existing framework and embrace competition to elevate Sri Lanka’s standing in the global tourism market. Drawing parallels with countries like Vietnam, he questioned why they had more tourists despite being in the industry for a shorter period. President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of increasing the number of tourists to 2.5 million in the upcoming year and subsequently expanding on this figure.

(PMD)

Business

Free visas for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russsia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan from Monday (27)

Published

6 hours ago

2023/11/28

Priyan

The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration has stated that nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russsia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan will be granted free visas from Monday 27-11-2023 to 31-03-2024 as a pilot program to rebuild the tourism industry.

Nationals of the above nominated countries possessing, Diplomatic, Official, Public Affairs, Services and Ordinary Passports are eligible to enjoy a visa free regime under this scheme.

The above mentioned nationals should apply for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arriving in Sri Lanka subject to granting / issuing free of charge up to 31-03-2024.

Under this scheme tourists can enjoy a 30 days free visa period and a double entry facility is permitted within 30 days from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka.

Free ETA under this scheme can be applied up to 31-03-2024.

The free ETA cannot be extended further and is limited only to thirty (30) days. In case the free ETA period of 30 days expires after 31-03-2024, an extension of visa could be applied subject to paying the appropriate fee.

Business

Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia prioritize economic ties in apparel and tourism sectors

Published

16 hours ago

2023/11/28

Priyan

The Minister of Economy and Planning for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Faisal F. Alibrahim, met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday (27) at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the discussions, Minister Faisal F. Alibrahim emphasized Saudi Arabia’s keen interest in strengthening economic ties with Sri Lanka across various sectors, including apparels and tourism. He elucidated that his government was focused on expanding economic relations within the region and regarded Sri Lanka with significant importance.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe welcomed the Minister’s comments, asserting that Sri Lanka is actively promoting enhanced cooperation in Asia, including West Asia. He further highlighted that the tourism and agriculture sectors were areas open to greater investment, as the country is committed to modernizing these domains.

(PMD)