Inviting Japan to tap Sri Lanka’s post-war revival

Inviting Japan to tap Sri Lanka’s post-war revival

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NWS Holdings breaks new ground with successful conclusion of biggest ever Sri Lanka Business Forum in Tokyo

Text and Pix by Nisthar Cassim

The Sri Lanka Business Forum 2014, organised by NWS Holdings Ltd., successfully concluded in Tokyo last week with a record number of participants enlightened about the post-war resurgence and potential for future growth opportunities.

Held at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, the forum attracted nearly 200 participants who listened to the progress of post-war Sri Lanka from a macro and corporate perspective and the emerging new opportunities for investments, partnerships, tourism and trade.

The forum was part of NWS’s goal of increasing Japanese investments to $ 500 million by the end of 2015 after having facilitated over $ 300 million in Japanese investments since the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka. Previously NWS Holdings, owned by Japanese investor Takashi Igarashi, held investment promotion events in 2011 and 2012 in Tokyo. Last week’s event was the most successful in terms of participation, despite adverse weather in Tokyo on that day.

The participants were informed about Sri Lanka for four hours at the forum and thereafter attended a networking reception.

The event’s Chief Guest was Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Osaka, D.W. Aluthgamage while NWS Holdings Chairman Takashi Igarashi and Toyohiko Murakami, the Chairman of Bansei Securities Ltd., which is one of the new investors in post-war Sri Lanka facilitated by NWS Holdings.

The forum also saw participation by a Sri Lankan private sector delegation comprising Softlogic Holdings Plc, Just in Time Technologies Ltd., Jetwing Hotels Ltd., Hsenid Software International Ltd., Speedmark Transportation Lanka Ltd., Pan Asia Banking Corporation and Dior Properties and Investments Ltd. These companies were represented at chairman/MD and director levels.

The Softlogic team comprised Financial Services Sector Head Ifthikar Ahamed, Softlogic Holdings Head of Corporate Finance and Treasury Hiran Perera and Head of Strategy Chinthaka Ranasinghe. The Jetwing Group was represented by Director Jerome Auvity, Just In Time Group by Chairman Jit Warnakulasuriya and Chief Technology Officer Navin Seneviratne, hSenid Software International by Managing Director Dinesh Sapramadu, Speedmark Transportation Lanka by Chairman Sunil Malawana and Director Commercial Sujan Malawana while the Dior Investments and Properties team comprised Nataraj Ramaiah and Vikram Nataraj. Takashi Igarashi also represented Pan Asia Bank on whose board he is a director.
Among the sectors promoted for Japanese investors at the forum were ICT, tourism, retail, healthcare, logistics, property development and financial services.

The forum was also timely as it was held a month after the historic visit by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Sri Lanka, which gave bilateral ties a big boost. The visit of Premier Abe also figured in some of the speeches and presentations by the Sri Lankan delegation.

Given the national importance of the NWS initiative, a special pre-recorded message from Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena in Japanese was aired for the benefit of participants.