A high powered business delegation led by Lu Xinhua, Chairman of the Council for Promoting South-South Co-operation (CPSSC) and former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Sri Lanka recently.
The delegation consisted of several retired Chinese Ambassadors and 30 leading Chinese entrepreneurs. The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka warmly welcomed the delegation and arranged for them to visit the BOI Export Processing Zone in Katunayake (KEPZ). They were accompanied by BOI officials and Third Secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, Hwang Wanting. Director, Zones, KEPZ, M. K. D. Lawrence, the Zone Administration and officials received the delegation.
A brief presentation on the zone layout and of the operational background of the zone was conducted by Lawrence. CEO of Boehm Leckner Multi Moulds (Pvt) Ltd., Bandara also gave a briefing about his factory to the delegation at the KEPZ auditorium.
Director, Admin and Finance, Boehm Leckner, Raj Nanayakkara facilitated the factory visit. A comprehensive list of factories located within the zone was also distributed to the members for future interest and bilateral co-operation.
Apart from the presentations and the briefings the Chinese visitors inspected some of the leading factories in the zone.
Hirdramani Mercury Apparels (Pvt) Ltd ., a company manufacturing garments, was one of the high technology companies covered in the visit. The delegation was received by HR Manager of the company, Cyril Gooneratne.
Thereafter, they visited the Boehm Leckner plant that manufacture injection moulds, plastic items and Pic Mac Sets. Lalan Eco Latex (Pvt) Ltd, a Sri Lankan company manufacturing rubber products such as mattresses and pillowswas also visited by the delegation. Delegates were received by HR Manager of the company, Ashan Kurera.
The visit to a BOI Export Processing Zone provided an insight into the manufacturing capability of Sri Lanka, which was important for the Chinese enterprises since they were evaluating the possibility of investing in Sri Lanka.
Chinese investors are encouraged by the Chinese Government to invest overseas including Sri Lanka which has a long history of friendship with China. Sri Lanka is also part of the “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) initiative of the Chinese Government to link China economically to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.