Sydney Expatriates Meet Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP and the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Sri Lanka Parliament
Sri Lankan Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva met with 20 Sri Lankan expatriates in Sydney on the sidelines of the FoodWISE Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting on Food and Water Security held at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
The luncheon meeting, hosted at Kandy Bites by Chef Ceylon in Glebe and organised by the Sri Lanka Association of NSW, Australia, brought together community members for an open discussion on key challenges and opportunities facing Sri Lanka. Guests also enjoyed a sumptuous traditional Sri Lankan meal.
Dr. de Silva outlined the objectives of the FoodWISE conference, which brings together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific to share best practices in strengthening food and water security. He emphasised the importance of scaling up such initiatives and establishing a regional FoodWISE network to foster ongoing collaboration.
Open discussions also addressed issues of particular importance to Sri Lanka, including the impact of climate change on water and food security, challenges in agriculture, infrastructure needs, and the importance of adopting new technologies to improve soil fertility, manage water shortages, and boost exports such as tea. Participants also explored how expatriate communities could be further encouraged to invest and contribute to Sri Lanka’s future development.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. de Silva said:
“Sri Lanka must encourage forward-thinking policies and new approaches if we are to sustain growth of close to 9% and ensure long-term economic prosperity. My intention is to inspire our political system to think outside the box and deliver the reforms needed for a stronger future.”
The event provided a meaningful opportunity to strengthen ties between expatriates and their homeland while highlighting Sri Lanka’s priorities in food security, sustainable development, and economic growth.
By Dr. Luckshman Randeniya
