Exhibition and investors forum to promote Hambantota Exchange Rates Unit Trust Prices

Exhibition and investors forum to promote Hambantota

The Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) will organise an unique exhibition titled 'Isuru Asiri Hambantota '98' from December 4 to 6 at Hambantota to promote trade, investment and tourism prospects in the area.

It will coordinate the organisation of the Exhibition and a investors foum with a host of Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, both local and foreign.

A large number of state and private sector institutions and Non-Governmental Organisation have been invited to take part in the exhibition. Already several of them have confirmed participation. The exhibition will have over 70 booths while over 20,000 visitors are expected during the three days.

Hambantota's untapped potential for investment, trade and sub-contracting in the fields of agriculture, commerce and industry will be extensively highlighted through the exhibition and the investors forum.

More specifically, the exhibition and the investors forum will focus on realising several objectives to;

* Boost entrepreneurial activities of the District to greater heights

* Identify the untapped and under-utilised assets of the District for the prosperity of the people and investors

* Enable enterprises in the area to expand their business, know-how, expertise, technology, management, marketing

* Explore marketing opportunities for products manufactured in the District

* Enlighten the growing consumer base in the District of the wide range of new and exciting products and services

* Establish business links between local and outside entrepreneurs and businessmen.

HDC had a similar exhibition in 1995 and it generated encouraging success for them to repeat the exercise.

Though the venue will be Hambantota, the exhibition will also have entrepreneurs from the nearby districts such as Matara, Galle, Ratnapura and Moneragala and highlight their potential for investment, trade and commerce.

HDCC President Azmi Thassim said that the exhibition would also be an ideal opportunity for companies and institutions to promote their products and services among the districts business community and consumers.

'It will be an ideal opportunity to grow with the economic resurgence of Hambantota,' he added.

HDCC was the first District-level Chamber in Sri Lanka and it is affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka. With a current membership of 225. HDCC will be celebrating five years of active service in 1998.

+ Exchange Rates

The Central Bank's Spot Rates for transactions with Commercial Banks announced on the morning of November 26, 1998 were as follows:

The approximate middle exchange rates of following currencies calculated on the basis of cross rates quoted by Gulf International Bank, Bahrain as it appeared in Reuters Financial Information System on November 26, 1998 were as follows:

Average rates at which the following currencies were quoted by Commercial Banks in Colombo for Telegraphic Transfers at mid-day on November 26, 1998 were as follows:

Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWRP) and Lowest Prime Rate (LPR)
The Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWPR) during the week ended November 13th, 1998 was 14.9 per cent for all banks. The Lowest Prime Rate among banks during this week was 13.5 per cent.

Average Weighted Deposit Rate of Commercial Banks (AWDR)
The Average Weighted Deposit Rate (AWDR) of Commercial Banks for the month ended October 31st, 1998 was 9.2 percent.