Held simultaneously at four locations – Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside, Hotel Galadari and Hilton Colombo Residencies - this marked the first time in Sri Lanka that a synchronized forum was held.
The forum was addressed by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka who spoke about his vision for Sri Lanka which includes the elimination of poverty and stamping out any corruption that would hinder the progress of the country.
In his address, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development spoke about the horrors experienced during the war, the various elements that are trying to undermine the efforts of the government and how stability is crucial to continue the development of the country.
A panel discussion was also held during the forum featuring business and economic leaders such as Permanent Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga; Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Ajith Nivard Cabraal along with business leaders such as business leaders such as MAS Holdings Group Director Dian Gomes, Cargills Deputy Chairman/CEO Ranjit Page, Jetwing Group Chairman Hiran Cooray, and Chevron Lubricants Managing Director Kishu Gomes.
The insightful discussion covered several relevant topics such as governance, corruption and transparency; the credibility of statistics; prospects for the apparel industry; the issue of unsolicited projects; tourism; multinationals and local companies and the role of professionals.
The business leaders also made keynote addresses at the various locations.
