Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Import Section conducts AGM

The Import Section of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) conducted its 88th Annual General Meeting (AGM), at the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo recently, with the Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe as Chief Guest.

Singer Sri Lanka PLC Director, Commercial Thulitha Mendis was elected as the Chairman, while Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd Head of Shipping (Imports and Exports) Ushan de Silva and Hemas Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd Head-Demand Planning and Imports Sankha Gammanpila were appointed as Vice Chairman and Deputy Vice Chairman respectively.

Mendis, emphasised the essential role played by importers in the national economy and their contributions to growth, employment, innovation and government revenue. He highlighted the need for continued engagement with authorities and consultative committees to address regulatory complexities and foster a business-friendly environment and the vital role that the Import Section, as the authoritative voice of importers in Sri Lanka, plays in this context.

Outgoing Chairman Ferrero Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Consultant (Sri Lanka and the Maldives) Niranjan Dissanayake, stated that over the past year, the Import Section held fruitful discussions with various authorities, including the Governor and senior officers of the Central Bank, the Director General of the Trade and Investment Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance, the Director General of Customs, and the Controller General of the Imports and Exports Department, at which proposals for solutions that would address the challenges faced by the import industry, were submitted and received positive responses from the authorities.

The Import Section also announced the launch of its new website, developed with the support of E-Arrow, which will serve as a comprehensive platform for information and guidelines relevant to importers. The website aims to connect importers and provide them with valuable resources for their business operations.