The Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, stated that by properly utilizing the resources of the Northern Province and creating the necessary facilities, the province’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could be increased to more than 10 percent.
He made these remarks while delivering the keynote address as the Chief Guest at the Second Business Excellence Awards Ceremony organized by the Sri Lanka–Canada Business Council to honor small and medium-scale entrepreneurs. The event was held successfully yesterday – on Friday (19 June 2026), at J Hotel in Jaffna.
Further addressing the gathering, the Governor stated:
“Historically, the Northern Province has been one of Sri Lanka’s economic centers. The responsibility of restoring that prominence lies with all of us. If we consider our province, agriculture and fisheries are two major sectors that generate significant levels of production. However, the lack of adequate processing facilities and cold-storage warehouses within the province remains a major setback.
Due to these shortcomings, farmers engaged in paddy and onion cultivation are often unable to obtain fair prices for their produce and continue to face various challenges in marketing their products.
Despite these obstacles, the support and contribution of the Sri Lanka–Canada Business Council in identifying more than fifty entrepreneurs and helping take their products to international export markets is highly commendable. In particular, the Council’s dedicated efforts to empower women and integrate them into the development process deserve special recognition.
Sustainable development can only be achieved through knowledge-sharing initiatives such as developing local capacities, conducting practical training workshops to improve quality standards, and creating market opportunities to showcase regional products internationally.
Those of you who have received awards at this event are the architects of our economic future. You should not remain limited to small-scale operations; rather, you should grow into some of the country’s leading exporters in the years ahead.”
The event was attended by M.H.A. Muhammad Hamees, Chairman of the Sri Lanka–Canada Business Council, members of its Executive Committee, entrepreneurs, the Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Secretary to the Governor of the Eastern Province, the District Secretaries of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, and Mannar, as well as members of the public.
