News

Lord Swire had the opportunity to visit our Strategic Partner, Port City Colombo, on a recent visit to Sri Lanka. He was accompanied by CWEIC officials including Niro Cooke, Board Member and Chair – Sri Lanka Hub, Pamela O’Leary, Board Member, and Deshan Gonawela, Country Director. The delegation was welcomed by Revan Wickramasuriya, Director General, the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, and Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director, CHEC Port City Colombo.

Port City Colombo is a $15 billion smart city project, aiming to be South Asia’s premier financial and business hub. Strategically located, it offers world-class infrastructure, tax incentives, and a special economic zone to attract global investors.

The visit included a detailed presentation at the Port City Colombo Sales Gallery, where the delegation was briefed on the project progress and the future projections as an emerging investment hotspot in Sri Lanka.

Port City Colombo’s key appeal to top investor markets including the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific, progressive regulatory environment that promotes the ease of doing business, and diverse options for investors, were the focal point of the presentation. The CWEIC delegation was also provided an experiential tour of the Mall at Port City Colombo, South Asia’s pioneering downtown duty-free retail offering, which is already contributing towards Colombo’s evolution as a hub for tourism and business.

“Sri Lanka needs to show that it is open for Foreign Direct Investment,” said Lord Swire.

“There are diverse opportunities, not just in the tea and tourism industry, but also within the scope of Port City Colombo’s Special Economic Zone, which is a truly exciting and ambitious initiative. The Commonwealth showcases some of the most diverse and fastest economies in the world, with the prospective investors who will be interested in exploring the intriguing opportunities that Port City Colombo and Sri Lanka as a whole bound to offer.”

Niro Cooke, Board Member, CWEIC, further elaborated: “Sri Lanka has long been a sought-after tourism destination. However, we believe that Sri Lanka has the opportunity to evolve into a competitive diversified service-based economy, which could reinvent our nation into a truly formidable regional business hub. With FDI contributors such as Port City Colombo, a strengthened economic outlook, and strategic locality, Sri Lanka now has the right ingredients to become a progressive investment destination.”

CWEIC looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Port City Colombo and supporting its vision to drive sustainable economic growth and innovation in Sri Lanka.