EU Ambassador tells APIIT MBA students ‘SL’s GSP utilisation at 62.5%’
View(s):The strongest Industry linked MBA in Sri Lanka – The Staffordshire University MBA at Asia Pacific Institute of Technology(APIIT), had the privilege of hosting the Sri Lanka’s Head of Mission to the European Union and Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg Grace Asiriwatham at the weekly webinar ‘APIIT MBA Dairies- Building Business with the EU’. The panelist at the session were President of Sri Lanka Benelux Business Council- MahenKariyawasam, President of the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) Ravi Jayawardana whilst the Panel Chair was the Former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Dr RohanthaAthukorala.
Ambassador Asiriwathama career diplomat with over 33 years experience explained to the elite graduates of Staffordshire University amidst a distinctive gathering of like minded personalities in trade and commerce that the government has identified 5 main sectors to be developed so that the utilization of the trade benefits can be increased. The chosen sectors are manufacturing, information and communication technology, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure whilst to diversify the export basket and empower the SME’s the government is also working towards establishing 1000 export production villages(EPV’s) around the country. On a question asked on the impact of EU trade to Sri Lanka by Dr RohanthaAthukorala the Ambassordor explained how EU has become the largest export destination for Sri Lanka with an export income of Euro 3 billion+ in 2019 and almost 2.5 billion euro was entitled to GSP ally’s concessions.
President of NCE Ravi Jayawardana commented ‘ we must have more intellectual discussions like this, so that the private sector understands the role that private sector has to develop business globally and how we must work closely with the Public sector. Sri Lanka need all the support as export revenues is the key to stabilising the country he said. Tourism personality MahenKariyawasam said that the Global Marketing initiative by the government was a welcome move as with the easing of travel regulations due to Covid-19, we see pent up demand increasing worldwide. We must now ride this wave said Kariyawasam.
APIIT has staged top business personalities weekly to address the country via the “APIIT MBA Diaries” which so far Included personalities such as Global branding guru Simon Anholt, Unilever Chairperson HajarAlifafi, Ambassordor to China PalithaKohonna, Nestle MAnaging Director Fabrice Cavallin. Next week we have a top global tourism expert said Dr Athukorala.