Sri Lanka-korea Business Council...
„At present, around 30, 000 Sri Lankans living in Korea „Korean tourist arrivals have increased four-fold with Korean Air direct flights to Colombo
In 1982, the late Lalith Athulathmudali, the then Trade and Shipping Minister, consequent to the visit to Korea with a business delegation in April 1982, mooted the formation of a Joint Economic Co-operation Committee between Sri Lanka and Korea. On July 8, 1982, the Korea-sri Lanka Business Council was set up in Seoul, Korea, under the aegis of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, at the request of the minister, set up the Sri Lanka-korea Business Council on November 4, 1982, in Colombo.
Alpha Tours (Pvt.) Ltd (general sales agent for Korean Air in Sri Lanka and the Maldives) Managing Director Priyantha Mendis was elected as President of the council for the year 2019-2020. In his address, Mendis reiterated that the main objectives of the council is to promote trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and Korea, to promote investment to Sri Lanka and encourage joint ventures and to conduct joint meetings with Korean business organisations between the two countries.
“For the past 13 years, the Korean government has offered employment opportunities to our youth in the
manufacturing, construction and fisheries sectors in Korea. At present, there are around 30, 000 Sri Lankans living in Korea, the biggest concentration of Sri Lankan expatriate employees after the Middle East. But compared to the Middle East and other countries, the earning capacity and living standards are much higher in Korea,” he said.
Further he stated that since the commencement of Korean Air direct flights to Colombo, the Korean tourist arrivals jumped to around 16,000, from 4,000 few years back.
President also thanked Immediate Past President Mahen Kariyawasan, who severed for 10 years as President of Sri Lanka-korea Business Council and Founder President Prof. Lakshman Watawala for their continuous contribution to the business council.
Transmarine (Pvt.) Ltd Chairman John Shiran Dissanayake and Spear International (Pvt.) Ltd Chairman/ Managing Director Shamil Mendis were elected as Vice Presidents of the council.
Abans Ltd, Lanka Shipping & Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd, MAC Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd, Senok Trade Combine (Pvt.) Ltd, Southern Tea Producers (Pvt.) Ltd and Shipping & Cargo Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd were elected from the membership to serve on the Executive Committee of the council.
Further details regarding the membership of the council could be obtained from the secretariat of the Sri Lanka- Korea Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, No: 50, Navam Mawatha, Colombo 2. E-mail: dinithi@chamber.lk/tel.: 0115588861, 5588800.