Trade exhibitions have tremendously helped Jaffna’s growth

The country should refocus its political and economic policies towards creating opportunities for individual creativity and private investment in business. In this context the Jaffna International Trade Fair 2018 is a great opening especially where the Northern business community can enhance its business connectivity with the business community in Colombo.

These comments were made by K. Vignesh, Chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yalpanam ( Jaffna- CCIY) while addressing the launch of the 9th Jaffna International Trade Fair 2018 (JITF 2018) this week. The trade fair would be held from January 26 to 28 at the Jaffna Municipal Grounds.

On the sidelines of the media briefing, Mr. Vignesh told the Business Times (BT) that due to three decades of ethnic conflict the real loss to the country is the intellectual brain- drain as most from the North left the country and among them intellectuals now comfortably settled in other countries. The country suffers due to this reason, he indicated.

He told the BT he did not have the exact number but the peace dividend is paying off and some of those are coming back tracing their roots in the North and those who were doing business before the war too are establishing their businesses slowly and steadily and investments are also gradually flowing in.

He said that things are gradually reshaping with those who left showing their willingness to resettle. When one speaks of the progress the travel industry is making in the North it is to be noted that more than 60 per cent constitute the Tamil diaspora.

At the media briefing he said that year on year JITF progresses steadily and last year there were more than 250 companies from the South represented at the exhibition while there more than 50,000 visited. India was represented with a 40 strong associate companies of ASSOCHAM of India, he indicated.

The main objective of the trade fair, he said is to explore the opportunities related to the promotion of trade and industries, exchange business and facilities for establishing joint- ventures and to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Southern and Northern business along with foreign investors.

Aasim Mukthar, CEO, Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services ( Pvt) Ltd ( LECS) said that tourism and hotel industry developed many-fold due to the exhibition and all accommodations were full and even some houses were opened up for executives for the exhibition to stay the three days.

He said that the traders have witnessed the business opportunities and potential the North has to offer and when it was first held the traders had to close the shop the following day as all the products they had stocked were sold out on the first day itself and such was the massive attraction the exhibition provided.

He mentioned that they have seen growth in many sectors in the North over the years and also played a rule in the opportunities that are created, especially in the SME sector through this event.

The organisers expect, as in the previous occasions, that more than 30 Jaffnabased companies would to take part at the event. It is a mutually beneficial event as LECS gives back the ticket sales money to the CCIY and in turn the chamber reinvests the money in the Northern SME sector.