The Sri Lanka–Canada Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently convened its 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, 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 H.E. Isabelle Martin, High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka and Maldives, together with members of the Council, office bearers and distinguished invitees.
At the AGM, Mr. Mohamad Hameez, Managing Director of Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, was re-elected as President of the Council for the 2026/2027 term. Mr. M. Irshad Razack, Managing Director of Global Academy of Further Education, was re-elected as Senior Vice President, while Mr. Pemith Paaris, Associate Vice President of Acentura Inc., was appointed Vice President. Mr. Hiran De Silva of the Asian Institute of Business and Science (Pvt) Ltd was re-elected as Treasurer.
The Executive Committee for 2026/2027 was also appointed, comprising representatives from Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Aspect Trading (Pvt) Ltd, BOV Capital (Pvt) Ltd, ECD Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, Fab Foods (Pvt) Ltd, Hatton National Bank PLC, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Pvt) Ltd, Marlbo Trading Company, MWAY (Pvt) Ltd, and Ningbo Marketing Company (Pvt) 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, Mr. Lionel Silva and Mr. Jay Ong will continue to serve as Honorary Members of the Council. The Council also announced the appointment of Ms. Kala Amirthalingam as Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for Women & Child Development and Empowerment.
The post-business session featured an address by H.E. Isabelle 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 Dr. George I.H. Cooke, Senior Lecturer, Department of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, 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.