Speaking at the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Investment Forum on Monday morning, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the role of business for regional development. “We all have to agree on the ease of doing business in South Asia and get all governments to implement that criterion. What matters most is the ease of doing business,” the Premier said.
Focusing on Sri Lanka specifically, Wickremesinghe asked, “What is our aim? Our aim is to become the hub of the Indian Ocean. Our future, like our past, is in the Indian Ocean and in being the hub of the Indian Ocean.”
Doing this requires connectivity, he explained. He referenced the progress Sri Lanka has made on that front, with the development of ports in Colombo, Hambantota, and Trincomalee, as well as the airports in Katunayake and Hambantota. He also referenced the expressways that have been developed and are in development and the expansion of WiFi to more rural areas.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the potential for the South Asian region if its scope is not limited. “If we enact the full potential, South Asia will be the fastest growing region in the world. It is not so now,” he said.
“Our region doesn’t end in Bangladesh. It extends down to Australia. You’d have to include Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and within the Southeast Asian subcontinent, Vietnam. And west of Pakistan is Iran. Just imagine if we unleash our potential and link it up with these countries. Destiny should be really unkind to us if we can’t do this.”
Themed 'Unleashing South Asia,' the investment forum was held at the Hilton Hotel in Colombo. The forum signifies the importance of regional cooperation in terms of economic and social development to ensure that the SAARC region has significant impact on the South Asian and global economies.
The investment forum is being organized by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and MP Events Lanka. The investment forum is attended by over 250 investors (local and international) including entrepreneurs, fund managers, CEOs and other senior corporate representatives.
Add new comment