Sri Lanka: CCC 180 years on

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) was founded on 25 March 1893, for the purpose of best promoting the interests of commerce. This was among the very first group of chambers established in Asia.

The Chamber has grown from having 26 memberships at its initial stages, to just over 600 today – with an outreach of 8,500 institutions. Twenty nine (29) of the current members have been members of the Chamber for over 100 years.

Over the last 180 years, the CCC has diversified its services across the field. From taking a primary interest in the sale of tea, rubber and spices, and commencing auctions that have been held continuously to this day, the Chamber offers secretarial services to 21 affiliated associations, has a computerized business information portal, organizes conferences, seminars, and events on a regular basis, and issues certificates of origin and provides authentication of quality survey reports. The Chamber has established eight subject-specific Steering Committees and six National Agenda Committees to gather, assess and formulate recommendations for policy interventions. In addition to this, it provides business intelligence, while the Economic Intelligence Unit delivers timely and relevant economic updates to all its members.

Meanwhile, flagship events like the SL Economic Summit (held consecutively for 17 years), awards for the Best Corporate Citizen (held continuously over the last 15 years), and the Investment and Business Conclave over the last several years were conducted by the CCC.

Whenever the need arose, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has intervened in matters of national importance and provided leadership to gather a collective voice with other Chambers to engage with Government.

Over the past 180 years, the Ceylon Chamber has responded to the needs of the business community that has experienced an evolving landscape — from a focus on a few traditional commodities’ trade, to a widely diversified commercial business arena shaped by new consumer needs, export diversification, and deeper engagement with countries across the world, fueled by technology and the advent of the digital economy.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce looks to continue in its quest, carrying forward the wisdom of two centuries, while staying relevant to its fast evolving membership, remaining to be Sri Lanka’s most powerful voice in business.