40th AGM of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council
View(s):The 40th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently.
Seated from left - Colombage Sarath De Costa, Merrick Gooneratne, Mahen Dayananda, Ambassador Akira Sugiyama, Tissa Jayaweera and Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya. Standing from left - Ms. Julianne Boulton, Mohan Mendis, Sagara Gunawardana, Mahen Kariyawasan, Shamil Mendis, Dinesh Saparamadu, Sagara Peiris, Rohitha Mendis and Athulla Edirisinghe. Absent: Tilak de Zoysa, Deva Rodrigo and Andre Fernando.
The Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council was set up in 1979 as the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Co-operation Committee (SLJBCC) by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, following a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japan – Sri Lanka Business Co-operation Committee (JSLBCC) of the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI). The SLJBC is the first bilateral business council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
The main objective of the Business Council shall be the promotion of trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and Japan, and facilitating investment.
Akira Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka, who is also the Patron of the council was the Chief Guest at the AGM.
Mahen Dayananda, acting President of the Council, was elected by the members, as the President of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council for the year 2019-2020. Tissa Jayaweera, TJ Associates; Colombage Sarath De Costa, Amano Lanka Engineering (Pvt) Ltd; Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, Midaya Ceramic Co. (Pvt) Ltd; Merrick Gooneratne, TOS Lanka Company (Pvt) Ltd and Mahen Kariyawasan, Andrew The Travel Company (Pvt) Ltd. were appointed as Vice Presidents for the year 2019 – 2020. Messrs Tilak de Zoysa and Deva Rodrigo will continue to serve on the Committee as Advisers during the year 2019 – 2020.
The AGM, according to a media release issued by the council, concluded with a special tribute to the late Daya Weththasinghe for his life and work, especially his contribution to the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council as its President.