The Sri Lanka-Canada Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently convened its 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Chamber premises, bringing together Council members, office bearers and distinguished stakeholders to review the Council’s activities during the past year and set its direction for the year ahead.
The AGM was attended by High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka and Maldives Isabelle Martin, together with members of the Council, office bearers and distinguished invitees.
At the AGM, Spillburg Holdings Ltd., Managing Director Mohamad Hameez was re-elected as President of the Council for the 2026/2027 term. Global Academy of Further Education Managing Director M. Irshad Razack was re-elected as Senior Vice President, while Acentura Inc., Associate Vice President Pemith Paaris was appointed Vice President. Asian Institute of Business and Science Ltd., Hiran De Silva was re-elected as Treasurer.
The Executive Committee for 2026/2027 was also appointed, comprising representatives from Aitken Spence Travels Ltd., Aspect Trading Ltd., BOV Capital Ltd., ECD Holidays Ltd., Fab Foods Ltd., Hatton National Bank PLC, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd., Marlbo Trading Company, MWAY Ltd., and Ningbo Marketing Company Ltd.
In addition, a dedicated subcommittee was appointed to oversee initiatives relating to Membership Development, Women Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Recognising the valuable contributions made towards the Council’s activities, Lionel Silva and Jay Ong will continue to serve as Honorary Members of the Council. The Council also announced the appointment of Kala Amirthalingam as Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for Women and Child Development and Empowerment.
The post-business session featured an address by the High Commissioner Martin, who emphasised the importance of continued engagement and cooperation between the business communities of Sri Lanka and Canada.
A keynote presentation was delivered by University of Kelaniya Department of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences Senior Lecturer Dr. George I.H. Cooke, on ‘Canada-Sri Lanka Economic Relations in a Changing Global Order: Opportunities for Business, Investment and Trade.’ The presentation examined the evolving global economic landscape and highlighted potential opportunities for enhanced bilateral trade, investment and business cooperation between Sri Lanka and Canada.
The Sri Lanka-Canada Business Council reaffirmed its commitment to promoting bilateral trade and investment, facilitating business linkages and strengthening private-sector cooperation between Sri Lanka and Canada, while continuing to support the interests and objectives of its membership.