The year 2018 was a tumultuous year on many fronts, undoubtedly. Whilst the Sri Lankan economy should have been growing at a rate at least on par with its neighbours, various factors have contributed to GDP figures which were, to say the least, disappointing. With a new year, however, comes renewed hope. Some of the issues, especially on the political front, seem to have been resolved and there is a renewed sense of optimism, albeit with a cautionary tinge, that 2019 could be a better year for the economy as a whole. Of course, no country in today’s global economy can operate in isolation and even factors such as US Dollar rates, Brexit and other FTAs Sri Lanka has entered into with other countries, could all play a major role in shaping the economic landscape in 2019.
The 7th Capital Markets Conference will be held on March 13 at the Ramada Colombo Hotel with experts and practitioners from the Capital Markets as well as related fields, converging to discuss a wide array of subjects that are expected to impact the economy. These luminaries are expected to engage in intense debate on the current status as well as to proffer their opinions on how Sri Lanka could move forward in what most people believe is a very critical year for the economy. Experts will take the center stage to deliberate on various contemporary issues, including the recent budget and its impact on Capital Markets, the CSE’s plans for the next year, the largely lacklustre performance of markets and what impedes its development and a Masterclass onReal Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
Chief Guest for the Conference will be Thilan Wijesinghe, Chairman, National Agency for Public Private Partnership.Rajeeva Bandaranaike, CEO, Colombo Stock Exchange, will also make a special presentation. Some of the other panelist includeRay Abeywardena, Chairman, Colombo Stock Exchange, Chandula Abeywickrema, Chairman, Lanka Impact Investing Network (LIIN), Channa De Silva, Chairman, Sarvodaya Development Finance, Ishrat Rauff, Managing Director, Adl Capital, Dr Ghefari Dulapandan, Founder/CEO of JAAG and Board Director FORUS Global Digital Exchange, South Africa, Dr Kumudu Gunasekera, Managing Director, Stax Inc., Nishantha Hewavithana, Head - Research and New Products, Colombo Stock Exchange, Rachini Rajapaksa, Past President CFA, Sri Lanka, Ravi Abeysuriya, Group CEO / Director, Candor Group of Companies, Suresh Perera, Principal – Tax and Regulatory, KPMG and Vindya Jayasekera, VP – Asset Management, NDB Wealth Management.
Following successful events held in the past six years, a new format has been introduced, with the plenary sessions to be completed before lunch. The post-lunch session will be a Technical Session with expert Resource Personnel presenting on the subject of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)