Colombo shopping festival to be organised by local retailers

The Sri Lanka Retailers' Association (SLRA), which aims to harness the resources of the organised retail industry to a common platform, recently met Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to discuss its 2017 plans.

During the meeting between Hussain Sadique, Deputy Managing Director of Hameedia and Chairman of SLRA; Asoka Peiris, Group CEO of Singer and Convener of Shopping Festival together with SLRA members - Ms. Kaushalya Perera, Director of DSI; Ajith Amarasekera, CEO of Swarnamahal Jewellers; Nasser Majeed, CEO of Softlogic Retail; Mehraj Sally, Group Director of Mydeal.lk; Nauseer Ahamed, CFO of The Factory Outlet; Tony Bastiansz, Marketing Manager of Exclusive Lines and Leonard Perera, Founder Convener and Head of Business, and the minister, the conduct of such a shopping festival emerged, the association said in a media release.

The SLRA intends to conduct the 'Sri Lanka Shopping Festival,' annually with the support of the government. A National Steering Committee involving the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade, Ministry of Plantation Industries, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Tea Board, Sri Lankan Airlines, Hotels Association, Travel Agents Association, and SLRA together with the media was proposed by the minister.

This high-level committee will be a collaborative PublicPrivate partnership with maximum participation from the state and private sector which will drive and coordinate the project in line with the proposed Government allocation of Rs. 50 million in the National budget for 2017 for this purpose as 'Colombo Fair'.

The fair will be similar to the Dubai Shopping Festival, Great Singapore Sale and Malaysian Mega Shopping Carnival which will ensure that Sri Lankans get first-hand experience of a shopping extravaganza, the release said.