Singer wins top honours at stand-out Sri Lanka China awards event
View(s):At the fourth Business Star Awards 2014 of the Sri Lanka China Business Co-operation Council held recently, the prestigious Pinnacle Award was won by Singer Sri Lanka PLC.
Half of the 37 awards were not presented as the Panel of Judges found these failed to meet the requirements and standards.
Lal De Alwis, Project Chairman said that the trading activities between Sri Lanka and China is steadily growing and noted that the council has recognized the great importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries – Sri Lanka and China. Within the last seven years trade between the two countries has steadily grown and bilateral trade which stood at US$659 million in 2005 has grown fivefold to $3.1 billion in 2013.
He said the contribution made by China for the development in Sri Lanka is tremendous and this would climax with the Free Trade Agreement being finalised during the official visit of the Chinese President to Sri Lanka.
He said that there was a large number of applications received for the competition this year but many awards were not presented. Those participants who did not get awards, he said, should not be discouraged because participation this year would provide experience to win on the next occasion. Chinese Ambassador, Wu Jiangho said that it is vital to increase investment in the manufacturing industry and China should utilise the geographical advantage of Sri Lanka to make the country a shipping and logistics hub which would create a platform for service cooperation.
He said that by facilitating Chinese tourist travel to Sri Lanka tourism could also be developed. With manufacturing, service and tourism, Mr Jiangho said that bilateral trade could be improved to promote industry
integration.
(QP)