Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Business Council of Japan (SLBCJ) celebrated its 20th Anniversary on 9th October 2023 at the Meiji Kinenkan in Tokyo, Japan.
Rodney Perera, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan, State Minister for Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama, Cabinet Minister for Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, Japanese MP Yamaguchi Susumu, Mayor of Ayase City Koshio Masayoshi, Iwase Kiichiro from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, members of various associations in Japan, and other distinguished guests attended the event.
Although President Ranil Wickremesinghe had intended to join the celebration, he was unable to attend. He, however, sent a video message offering his congratulations.
The pinnacle of the 20th Anniversary celebration was the unveiling of the Global Federation of Sri Lankan Business Councils (GFSLBC). This initiative, led by International Director of SLBCJ Sajeev Rajaputhra, SLBCJ President Jagath Ramanayake, and Treasurer Jitendra Samarawickrama, aims to amalgamate all Sri Lankan Business Councils globally into a single organisation.
The mission is to solidify and empower global Sri Lankan businesspeople in their ventures while bolstering Sri Lanka during its economic resurgence.
Several members of international business councils travelled to partake in a workshop earlier that day.
During this, Sajeev Rajaputhra was appointed the inaugural Secretary-General of the Global Federation, with Kula Sellathurai becoming Deputy-Secretary-General, Ravi Varma named as Under-Secretary, Sanje Sedara as Deputy-Under-Secretary, Naveen Chandrasekara as Treasurer, and Jitendra Samarawickrama as Deputy-Treasurer.
Jagath Ramanayake was designated the Honorary Advisor of the Global Federation.
