Standard Chartered Bank reveals a pipeline worth of $16 billion investment opportunities

The Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map shows an opportunity for private-sector investors across all emerging markets to nearly $10 trillion ($9,668 trillion), with Sri Lanka representing $16.2 billion of the total. The most significant opportunity in Sri Lanka found in achieving and maintaining universal access to electricity (a key SDG 7 indicator), representing a $7.3 billion private-sector investment opportunity.

Sri Lanka's most significant opportunity is to achieve and maintain universal access to electricity (a primary SDG 7 indicator), which represents a $7.3 billion investment opportunity in the private sector. It takes into account the proportion of the population of Sri Lanka currently without electricity access (2 percent), the expected population growth, and the increasing demand for power as the economy grows.

For SDG 9, which supports change in business, innovation, and technology, Opportunity2030 highlights incentives for the private sector to invest in transport and to improve digital access.  Securing full digital adoption in Sri Lanka–a mix of mobile phone subscription rates and internet connectivity–will entail some $4.1 billion of private-sector investment. To significantly improve the transport infrastructure in Sri Lanka by 2030 provides the private sector with a $4.6 billion investment opportunity.

Bilingual Thewarathanthri, CEO of Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, said: "Sri Lanka's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) makes investing with the impact an attractive prospect for the private sector. The state is looking to expand public-private-partnerships, and its Vision 2025 program is aligned with the SDGs, demonstrating a commitment to the goals.

"Opportunity 2020 shows the potential that private sector investors have to create to achieve the SDGs. These findings indicate that there is an opportunity in Sri Lanka over the next decade to have an encouraging economic impact on the lives of millions of people. '

OSL Take: The statements by the top management of the Standard Chartered Bank reveals the many business opportunities in Sri Lanka, and also for global companies, it is a welcome sign looking at expanding into other parts of the region. Further, the government of Sri Lanka focused on increasing the inflow of foreign direct investments to the country.

Contemplating the need to modernize the country’s laws to attract more foreign investments to Sri Lanka is a positive sign for international businesses/investors looking at doing business with the state. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean, the ease of doing business environment in the country and the many trade agreements, as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the state, have made it an attractive business destination in the South Asian region.

VBS/AT/17022020/Z_TB1