Why Invest in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka's strategic location in the Indian Ocean on the major air & sea routes between Europe & the Far East gives it an advantage as a global logistics hub.
Today, Sri Lanka is ranked as the most liberalized economy in South Asia. Investors are provided with preferential tax rates, constitutional guarantees on investment agreements, exemptions from exchange control and 100% repatriation of profits. Total foreign ownership is welcome in almost all areas of the economy, with only a few areas limited or restricted to foreigners.
Sri Lanka's Business Environment ranks 11th in the region, and 42nd in the world. Sri Lanka is strategically located at the cross roads of both east and west sea routes and serves as the point of entry to South Asia.
The work force accounts for 35% of the total population. Sri Lanka boasts of high levels of education. We have the highest literacy rate in South Asia (91.8%) and approximately 50% of the students who have completed their higher education are trained in technical and business disciplines. English is widely spoken in the country and is the main language used by the business community.
Sri Lanka's free trade zones have been the linchpin of economic development and inflow of foreign direct investment into Sri Lanka. The country's free trade zones are seen as benchmarks of successful implementation of zone development strategies.
Private and public investment programmes have been implemented to improve the country's basic infrastructure facilities. Today, Sri Lanka's infrastructure ranks as the best available in South Asia. The government is actively encouraging private sector investment in infrastructure on the basis of BOO (Build, Operate and Own) and BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer). Currently there are private investment projects in power, ports, water sanitation, transportation (highways and rail) and IT.
Educational facilities in Sri Lanka range from public and private educational establishments to international schools following British and American curricula. The best secondary schools are of a very high standard. Annually a large number of Sri Lankan students enter top rated universities such as the Ivy League schools in the US, and Oxford and Cambridge in the UK.