Monday, September 27, 2010

Sri Lanka President invites US business leaders to invest in the country

Sept 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has met and invited leading businessmen in the United States to invest in Sri Lanka without trepidation as the country is now poised to enjoy a strong economic growth and becoming one of the best countries for investment in the world.

Business executives from a variety of business enterprises, including the hospitality and tourism industry, the beverage industry, and the aerospace and defense community met the Sri Lankan President at a luncheon held at New York City's Helmsley Hotel last week.

Sri Lanka President was in New York to attend the 65th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

President Rajapaksa personally greeted each of the 150 business executives at the luncheon. The executives from the Coca Cola Co., the Boeing Co., Google, Hilton Hotels and Resorts and Starwood Hotels and Resorts were among the attendees.

The President invited the entrepreneurs to join the newly formed U.S.- Sri Lanka Business Council, which seeks to expand the commercial relationship between the two countries by promoting trade and investment opportunities that benefit both nations.

US Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has expressed hopes to invest in the Sri Lankan market and to extend support to enhance investment opportunities between Sri Lanka and the US.

During the meeting the President noted that Sri Lanka's per-capita income has been increased two fold in the past five years and the government targets is to double this figure by the year 2016.

Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris addressing the attendees said Sri Lanka today has a promising economic future and the country is on the threshold of an economic renaissance.

"Sri Lanka is today, without any exaggeration, one of the world's best destinations for investment," Prof. Peiris has stated.

Approving the fifth tranche of a US$ 2.5 billion loan last Friday, the International Monetary Fund, which recently upgraded Sri Lanka to "middle income emerging market" status, said the overall economic conditions are improving and the economy is likely to show strong growth this year on the back of improved fundamentals and political stability


source - www.colombopage.com

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