News

CWEIC was pleased to assist our Strategic Partner, Charltons Law, on a comprehensive visit to Sri Lanka.

The recently established CWEIC Sri Lanka Hub, chaired by Niro Cooke and supported by Country Director Deshan Jayawardena Gonawela, played a pivotal role in organising meetings and introductions to key stakeholders.

Julia Charlton, Founder Principal Partner of Charltons Law, and her delegates engaged in a series of meetings with CWEIC Strategic Partners, as well as business and government stakeholders. They visited our Strategic Partner, Port City Colombo, which is in the midst of establishing a world-class offshore international financial hub. During their visit, they were extensively briefed by Dhanya Gunawardana of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission.

CWEIC also facilitated meetings with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, where Julia Charlton and her team met with Mr Faizal Salieh, Chairman, and Mr Tushara Jayaratne, Deputy Director General, to gain insights on investment prospects and regulatory policies.

State Minister Dilum S. Amunugama at the Ministry of Investment Promotion was particularly generous with his time and insights. Revisiting some of the issues previously discussed at earlier meetings with Charltons, such as the legal framework for investments into the Port City and the prospects for developing digital assets and tokenisation, the Charltons team was encouraged by the openness and willingness of the Sri Lankan government to consider and potentially embrace these emerging technologies. The officials demonstrated a keen interest in understanding how tokenisation could benefit Sri Lanka’s economy, particularly in enhancing liquidity and accessibility in commodity markets.

Their engagement with Mr. Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman of the Board of Investment in Sri Lanka, shed further light on current economic policies and initiatives aimed at fostering growth and attracting foreign investment.

Julia expressed her optimism about the visit, stating: “As a legal professional with extensive experience in financial regulations and emerging technologies, I see significant potential for Sri Lanka in this area. The country’s strategic location, coupled with its efforts to position itself as a modern financial center through projects like Port City Colombo, provide a strong foundation for exploring innovative financial technologies like tokenisation. I believe there is an opportunity for further dialogue and collaboration between international experts, including our team at Charltons Law, and Sri Lankan authorities to develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing commodity tokenisation. This could potentially position Sri Lanka as a pioneer in this field within the South Asian region.”

We are grateful to Charltons Law for entrusting us with the coordination of this important visit and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to promote investment and economic development in Sri Lanka.