Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, the Director General of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, underscored the importance of integrating sustainability into everyday practices rather than treating it as an annual event. This message was delivered during an awareness and action program hosted at the BOI auditorium in celebration of Environment Day.
In her address to the staff, Dr. Jayawardena highlighted that the challenges related to the environment and production do not have immediate solutions, emphasizing that sustainable progress requires continuous effort and dedication. She stressed that caring for the environment should be viewed as an ongoing responsibility, rather than a task to be addressed occasionally.
As the leading organization tasked with attracting foreign direct investment while maintaining the country’s sustainability standards, Dr. Jayawardena articulated the BOI’s unique responsibility to ensure that the companies it endorses adhere to credible, evidence-based environmental and production practices. She cited Good Manufacturing Practices and sustainable supply chain management as critical areas where BOI-approved enterprises need to show improvement through concrete evidence, moving beyond mere assurances.
Dr. Jayawardena also highlighted the necessity of aligning operations with the natural environment, noting that the broader ecosystem provides valuable insights into resilience and adaptation. She expressed confidence in Sri Lanka’s administrative capabilities to support these initiatives and urged officials to utilize the available resources and authority effectively to foster significant change.
Following her address, a discussion was held to outline the next steps, during which the BOI reaffirmed its dedication to enhancing quality production processes supported by robust evidence in Good Manufacturing Practices. The organization also emphasized the importance of the Department of Environment in executing these initiatives, the promotion of sustainable land use throughout its enterprise network, and the incorporation of traditional knowledge into modern environmental and production strategies.
This event is part of the BOI’s ongoing initiative to weave sustainability into its investment promotion efforts, ensuring that the growth in foreign direct investment is accompanied by responsible environmental stewardship from the enterprises it supports.
