Belgium Trade & Investment Delegation in Sri Lanka for Belgium Week 2010

20th November 2010, www.island.lk

A trade and investment delegation from Belgium including some big companies in that country will be here for the Belgium Week 2010 beginning tomorrow and continuing till November 26. Belgian exports to Sri Lanka comprising mainly precious or semi precious stones (87.2%) together with pharmaceuticals, tobacco and manufactured substitutes, paper and paper board and plastics amounted to Euros 231.3 million last year.

Belgium imports comprised mainly precious or semi precious stones (60%) and apparel and clothing (20%) with rubber and rubber goods, tobacco and manufactured substitutes and automobiles being minor imports. During the visit here of the business delegation they will be meeting with ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development, G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs, Rishard Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and other senior government officials.

They will also attend a briefing at the BOI and a specific seminar on construction, interior, infrastructure, harbour and marine development and tourism projects held in collaboration with the Chamber of Construction Industry.

The Sri Lanka export Development Board, the Benelux Business Council and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce are organizing match making opportunities between the Belgian delegation and various Sri Lankan companies.

The program has also opportunities for visits to Sri Lanka’s blue chip companies.

The delegation is here under the auspices of arrangements made jointly by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brussels, the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi and the Belgian Consulate in Colombo.

Although Belgium’s Minister of Enterprise and Streamlining Policy, Mr. Vincent Van Quickenborne, was due to lead the delegation, political developments in Belgium have prevented him from making this visit.

The delegation consists of 40 companies (over 50 persons) in the fields of agro-food, machinery, construction, interior, energy, fisheries, gems, information technology, infrastructure, water supply, financial services, textile, tobacco, tourism investments and various trading companies. Most of them are seeking to do business with Sri Lanka for the first time.

Projects of several Belgian companies in the health sector, infrastructure, water supply, water sanitation and waste disposal to the value in excess of 50 Million Euro have already received or are in the process to be approved by the Government of Sri Lanka and many more projects are waiting to be implemented, a press release issued in connection with the visit said.