About SLES 2023
The Sri Lanka economy has stabilized relative to 2022 with multiple reforms underway and the commencement of the country 17th IMF program. While meeting the structural benchmarks under the program in the next 4 years will be key in maintaining this stability, how can the country utilize this opportunity to accelerate growth and development in a sustainable manner. With many reforms underway how can we ensure that these reforms are not just limited to a policy document or a committee/taskforce but translates into impactful implementation. Can Sri Lanka pursue twin objectives of meeting the IMF program requirements while pursuing reforms related to land, labour and trade. The summit can focus on the key policy ingredients that will enhance the macroeconomic stability as well as ensuring opportunities for accelerating growth led by the private sector.
28th & 29th Nov
Event Date
Shangri-La Colombo
Event Location
Sustain Reform - Accelerate Growth
Event Theme
Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2023
Theme of the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2023
The Sri Lanka economy has stabilized relative to 2022 with multiple reforms underway and the commencement of the country 17th IMF program.
1800 – 2030 hrs
INAUGURAL SESSION
Resetting from Turmoil to Opportunity
CHIEF GUEST
H E Ranil Wickremesinghe
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Opening remarks and Welcome Address by the Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa
Address by the Chief Guest- President Ranil Wickremesinghe
1. TATA Chairman-Mr. Natarajan Chandrasekaran- Outlook for India and impact on India BOP Crisis 1991 and how private sector recovered Or
2. Dr. Raghuram Rajan - Professor of Finance, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
3. Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia- Former Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission of India
4. Senior Foreign Investor from Singapore/ Vietnam/ Thailand
Interviewer- Mr. Anushka Wijesinghe- Co-Founder, Centre for a Smart Future
Registration/Arrival of Guests
Guest Speaker - tbc
Outline:
(1) How have we performed so far under the IMF program?
(2) What more can we see in terms of fiscal reformwidening the net and improving administration?
(3) How do we prioritize and streamline expenditure?
(4) What is the multilateral agency assessment of the reforms taken so far and what needs to be done?
(5) What policies can we now look to implement to drive growth?
Panelists :
(1) Mr Mahinda Siriwardana – Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance
(2) Ms Sarwat Jahan – IMF Resident Representative for Sri Lanka - tbc
(3) Mr Takafumi Kadono – Country Director for Sri Lanka, ADB
(4) Mr Faris Hadad-Zervos – World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka - tbc
(5) Mr Bingumal Thewarathanthri – Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank - Sri Lanka
(6) Mr Murtaza Jafferjee – CEO, JB Securities Ltd (Moderator)
Tea Break
Session 2: SOE Reforms – Now or Never
Outline:
(1) Understand the progress of the SOE reform undertaken so far and what will be in store?
(2) How are the large SOEs being restructure and reformed?
(3) Can we see a positive impetus towards economic growth from the reform?
(4) What will be role of labor reform in this growth?
(5) Understand different stakeholder view points on the implementation of SOE reform?
Presenter `{` 15 minutes`}`
(1) Mr. Suresh Shah- Director General, State Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SRU)
Panelists `{`Panel discussion for 75 minutes`}`:
(1) Hon. Kanchana Wijesekera - Minister of Power and Energy
(2) Mr Shan Yahampath – Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment
(3) Mr Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa – Country Manager, IFC Sri Lanka and Maldives
(4) Mr Vish Govindasamy – Group Managing Director, Sunshine Holdings PLC
(5) Moderator—Mr. Dhananth Fernando- CEO, Advocate Institute
Lunch
Outline:
(1) Learn how other countries navigated a crisis to unlock trade and investment reform
(2) How can Sri Lanka leverage its location and adopt a +1 strategy
(3) How can Sri Lanka accelerate its exports and FDI trajectory – an outsider perspective
(4) How the leading conglomerates in Sri Lanka are planning to support Sri Lanka’s economic growth trajectory and what they see as the enablers towards growth.
Presenter `{` 1 presentation - 15 minutes`}`
(1) Mr Nguyen Ngoc Huy – Deputy General Director, HoaSen Group
Fireside Panel discussion with leading Conglomerates `{` 90 Minutes`}`
(1) Mr. Krishan Balendra – Chairman, John Keells Holdings PLC
(2) Dr Parakrama Dissanayake, Deputy Chairman /MD, Aitken Spence PLC
(3) Mr Vinod Hirdaramani – Chairman, Hirdaramani Group
(4) Ms Hajar Alafifi – Chairperson & Managing Director, Unilever Sri Lanka PLC
(5) Mr Shamindra Kulamanage – Co-founder & Chief Editor, Echelon Media (Moderator)
Tea Break
Session 4: Achieving Consensus to Sustain Reforms and Growth
Outline:
(1) Understand the cost of corruption to business and the public
(2) How do we look at incorporating governance reform together with other macro-economic reform?
(3) How do we improve our institutions so that they are effective, productive, independent and accountable?
(4) What should be reforms that should be implemented beyond an IMF program to accelerate growth?
(5) What will be the role of private sector in driving towards this consensus?
Panelists `{`Panel discussion for 90 minutes`}`:
(1) Hon. Shehan Semasinghe- State Minister of Finance
(2) Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya- Member of Parliament
(3) Dr. Harsha De Silva- Member of Parliament
(4) Ms. Nadishani Perera- Executive Director, Transparency International Sri Lanka
(5) Moderator – Dr. Nishan de Mel- Executive Director, Verite Research
CLOSING SESSION – Summary of Summit findings
Close of Summit
We are excited to announce some
of the confirmed speakers
Mr. Mahinda Siriwardana
Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance
Mr. Takafumi Kadono
Country Director for Sri Lanka, ADB
Mr. Bingumal Thewarathanthri
Chief Executive Officer, Sri Lanka, Standard Chartered Bank
Mr. Murtaza Jafferjee
CEO, JB Securities Ltd
Mr. Suresh Shah
Director General, State Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SRU)
Hon. Kanchana Wijesekera
Minister of Power and Energy
Mr. Shan Yahampath
Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment
Mr Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa
Country Manager for Sri Lanka & Maldives
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Mr. Vish Govindasamy
Group Managing Director, Sunshine Holdings PLC
Mr. Dhananth Fernando
CEO, Advocate Institute
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy
Deputy General Director, HoaSen Group
Mr. Krishan Balendra
Chairman, John Keells Holdings PLC
Mr Vinod Hirdaramani
Director , Hidramani (PVT) Ltd
Ms. Hajar Alafifi
Chairperson & Managing Director, Unilever Sri Lanka PLC
Mr. Shamindra Kulamannage
Co-founder & Chief Editor, Echelon Media
Hon. Shehan Semasinghe
State Minister of Finance
Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya
Member of Parliament
Dr. Harsha De Silva
Member of Parliament
Ms. Nadishani Perera
Executive Director, Transparency International Sri Lanka
Dr. Nishan de Mel
Executive Director, Verite Research
The conference organizers greatly appreciate the support
of the various corporate sponsors listed
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Knowledge Partner
Session Partner
Television Partner
Snapshots of the SLES 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register for the Summit?
Click on the “Register Now” button. This action will take you to the Registration Form.
Fill in the required participant information, including:
- Organization Name
- Title
- Participant’s Name
- Designation
- Contact Details
- Email Address
- Mobile Number
SLES 2023 is a hybrid Summit. You have the flexibility to choose between two options:
Online Option: This allows you to participate in all sessions online or select specific sessions of your choice.
In-Person Option: Select this option if you wish to attend the Summit in person at the Shangri-La Colombo.
Next, you will be prompted to indicate whether your organization is a member of the Chamber. Chamber members are eligible for a discounted participation fee. Please specify your membership status accordingly.
Cost of participation is given below :
- Members – Online LKR 3,500 per session
- Members – In-Person LKR 30,000
- Non-Members – Online LKR 5,500 per session
- Non-Members – In-Person LKR 35,000
To add multiple participants from your company, please follow these steps:
Click on the “Add Participants” button to include their contact details. Please provide unique Mobile Numbers and Email addresses for each participant, as the registration platform identifies participants by their Mobile Numbers. Note that the same Mobile Number cannot be used for more than one participant.
To settle your participation fees, you have two options:
Online Payment: Select the “PAY NOW” button to make an online payment. You will be directed to the Internet Payment Gateway, where you can use a Credit/Debit card to complete the payment.
Pay Later: If you prefer to pay at a later time, choose the “PAY LATER” button. However, please be aware that if you select this option, you must ensure that the participation fees are settled within 4 working days of the registration. Payment can be made in cash to the Cashier located on the 2nd Floor of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce or by forwarding a cheque drawn in favor of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
After you have successfully settled the participation fees:
For In-Person participants, a system-generated link will be sent to you. This link will allow you to download a QR Code, which you should present at the event venue’s entrance.
Participants who have chosen the Online option will receive a link to join the Sessions 24 hours before the Summit begins.
Once you have completed the registration and payment process, you should expect to receive a confirmation email or message. This communication will serve as proof of your registration and may contain additional event details, including the QR Code link for In-Person participants.
Prepare for the Event: After registering, be sure to mark the event dates on your calendar to ensure you don’t miss any important sessions or activities.
We look forward to welcoming you at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2023.
What do I need to attend the Summit?
In person participants needs to produce the QR Code saved on your mobile phone, i-Pad or a printed copy at the Entrance to the Summit Venue.
How can I ask a Question at the Summit?
Instructions for submitting questions on Day 2 of the Summit will be provided later.
Who do I contact for Questions?
We are glad to assist you, if you need any further clarifications. Please forward us with an E-mail – events@chamber.lk or call us on 011 5588852 or 011 5588882