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| Sunday, 8 May 2005 |
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Liaison office to boost Finnish trade by Elmo Leonard
Finland will soon set up a permanent liaison office in Colombo in a bid to improve reciprocal trade with Sri Lanka, Finnish Ambassador to India, based in New Delhi, Glen Lindholm said. Helsinki had decided to sign a government-to-government agreement to extend financial assistance towards reconstruction of tsunami-hit damages to the island's infrastructure and buildings and in the process bring in Finnish corporates involved in construction. The amount of funds the Finnish government will allot is yet unknown. Lindholm has a special interest in Sri Lanka, having been the Charges D' Affaires in Colombo from 1985 to 1989, he said in an interview. Lindholm led a 15-member Finpro delegation, comprising eight companies of the Scandinavian nation. Finpro is a specialist professional and service organisation whose mission is to speed up Finnish businesses, while minimising the risk involved. Finpro is a member organisation consisting of over 500 companies, the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers and the Finnish Entrepreneurs Organisation.
In South Asia, Finpro is active and has offices in the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi and Mumbai. Finpro's common strategy is to set up an industrial joint venture, local branches, or representative offices in other countries, Lindholm said. Vice president of Finpro, based in New Delhi, Seppo Keranen said that for Finnish corporates to grant technological transfer, was often a beginning to get itself acquainted to overseas countries and its local markets, and set up permanent partnership with local businesses. Trade between Sri Lanka and Finland is highly tipped in Finland's favour (see chart). Finnish exports to Sri Lanka surged in 2003 and more than doubled from the previous year, mainly due to the increase of exports in medical instruments. In 2004 Finnish exports to Sri Lanka grew by 8 percent amounting to Euro 32.7 million (Rs. 131 to a Euro). Sri Lanka's exports to Finland in 2004 amounted to Euro 6.6 million, up 20 percent over 2003. Finland mainly imports apparel and clothing accessories from Sri Lanka comprising around 45 percent of its imports. Tea and rubber products are also significant import products. In addition, electrical power machinery is imported by Finland, according to Finland's Customs statistics. Two-thirds of Finnish exports to Sri Lanka consist of medical instruments. Industrial machinery accounts for nearly a fourth. Other exported products include paper products, telecommunications equipment and chemical products. Finland has been cooperating with Sri Lanka since 1980, having built the Harrispattuwa and Kandy drinking water schemes and telecommunications in Hambantota using the latest NORKIA technology. Among the Finnish companies which held discussions with local business persons are: Elematic OY AB, Toijala, the leading supplier of precast-concrete machinery and equipment, worldwide, according to its export manager, Ari Mellanen. Its desired cooperation is in exporting precast production machines, equipment and technology from Finland. Findfund, Helsinki, is a development finance company and provides long-term risk capital for private projects in emerging markets, advisor for Findfund, Anand Sethi said. Findfund has studied projects in Sri Lanka since 1981 and to-date has approved three investments out of 19 project proposals, Sethi said. GE Healthcare Projects Ltd, Helsinki, has just completed the project consisting of the upgrading of the operating theatre and intensive care units in 46 hospitals all over Sri Lanka. Healthcare is looking for the new schemes, project management director, Esa Kupinian said. Korso-Martin, Larsrno, is a family owned company involved in boat and fishing craft building. The company desires dealership throughout the South Asian region, Tom Hogland said. Lemcon Ltd, Helsinki, is an international project contractor and desires subcontracts for implementation of projects in Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia, its area manager, Aimo Kagtisko said. OY S & C Framing AB, Stationsvagon, is looking for companies in the residential and/or commercial construction business area interested in using truss chords and webs for roofs or ready to instal trusses using galvanised light gauge steel framing. Soil and Water Ltd, Vantaa, has specific references to municipal water supply and sanitation, industrial waste water treatment and hospital renovation projects in Sri Lanka, its vice president, international operations, Ms Anne Salminen said. Tempere Polytechnic, is a school of engineers. Following the tsunami, the school has come up with a relief house, and wishes to teach the technology to other local schools. The main target is to bring production to the crisis area, its executive
director, Erpo Heikkilan said. |
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