Large number of Omani firms to participate in World Export Development Forum in Sri Lanka

Muscat: A large number of Omani companies are expected to take part in the World Export Development Forum (WEDF), the flagship event of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC), to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 12-13 October, 2016.
Hiruni Rajapakse, Second Secretary, Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman, said in a statement that several companies have confirmed their participation in this event in Colombo. “Moreover, we have requested the Oman Chamber of Commerce to disseminate the information among the companies,” she said.
With its central location in South Asia, at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has risen steadily to become a regional business hub.
“Convening this gathering of the global trade and development community and business representatives in Colombo will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the best of Sri Lanka and allow us to talk business and do business,” she said.
Recently, a large number of Omanis had visited Sri Lanka, keen to invest in property, infrastructure development and farming sector.
Anselm Perera, the CEO of Business Process Outsourcing Services LLC (BPOS) Oman, who was a part of the delegation to Sri Lanka, said the South Asian country was turning out to be good place for the investors after the civil war ended on May 18, 2009. “Since then, we have seen a surge of investors from all around the globe,” he said recently.
Besides investing in farming, Omanis are also buying properties in Sri Lanka. “The Omani delegation which recently visited Sri Lanka also held discussions with representatives of the reputed high-rise residential development Altair to buy apartments,” Anselm Perera said.
The WEDF will bring together policymakers, business leaders, and officials from trade and investment support institutions (TISIs) and international organisations to discuss how to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth through trade.
The theme of WEDF 2016, ‘Trade for Success: Connect, Compete, Change,’ reflects the importance that the ITC and the Government of Sri Lanka attach to the role of enterprises in trade and job creation.
In Sri Lanka and elsewhere, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the economy, representing over 90 per cent of all businesses and contributing to two thirds of global employment.
Previous editions of WEDF have been held in Doha, Qatar (2015), Kigali, Rwanda (2014), Jakarta, Indonesia (2012), Istanbul, Turkey (2011) and Chongqing, China (2010).