The Rotary club of Metropolitan consists of key business personalities who meet weekly at Jaic Hilton to discuss key business opportunities in the country and engage in networking to support one another’s business organizations. They also meet with key policy makers on a regular basis under different industry groups so that it can understand and support government policy and help the country be more competitive as a nation.

 

Athukorala, who sits on many government and private sector boards, said that the post war business and industrial landscape has changed and organizations and the country must innovate to drive competitive advantage.

 

He said countries can have comparative advantages based on their natural resources, but it is organizations within a country that make a nation competitive.

 

The speaker cited Sri Lanka’s apparel industry as the best case in point. "Even though the industry imported almost 80% of its raw materials, Sri Lanka as a nation has become competitive globally in this industry among some of the key brand names like Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Next, Marks and Spencer and the Zara’s of the world." He emphasized that it was private sector organizations that made this industry competitive and the same initiative must be taken in the case of China.

 

Sri Lanka currently exports US$ 59.2 million worth of merchandise to China with products such as tea, natural rubber, desiccated coconut, cinnamon, un-manufactured tobacco, vegetables, cut flowers, aquarium fish, wooden products, graphite, electrical products and cashew nuts, to name a few. Athukorala pointed out that in 2005 export earnings amounted to US$ 28.3 million, which explained the potential of the Chinese market. The speaker said that in Beijing alone, there were around 570 million urbanized consumers that Sri Lanka can target through focused strategies that can be pursued.

 

Athukorala, who is the Head of National Portfolio Development for Sri Lanka & Maldives of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), said that in contrast, exports to countries such as Italy in 2005 amounted to US$ 198.4 million and today, its export earnings amounted to US$ 437.3 million to be the 3rd largest export market for Sri Lanka.

 

"This is what a private-public partnership can achieve for the country. We now need to make this partnership happen in the case of China, rather than just crying over the GSP+ fall out," he said.

 

The Past President of the Rotary Club, Dinesh Saparamadu, commented that with regular engagement with the government, development work can be achieved which is focused on the private sector. Present at the occasion was the President of the Rotary Club, Suresh Britto ,and senior members of the club including Favourite Group Chairman, Kumar Mirchandani.

 

Courtesy: The Island Online