2006, 29th ADFIAP Annual Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The 29th ADFIAP Annual Meetings hosted by
DFCC Bank

will be held at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 8 – 11 May 2006.

The Opening Ceremonies of the Annual Conference is scheduled to begin at0830 hrs on Wednesday, 10 May 2006, at the Oak Room of Cinnamon GrandHotel. Delegates are requested to register starting 0800 hrs prior to the start ofthe Opening Ceremonies if they have not done so upon arrival.

Message from the Prime Minister of SriLanka

I am pleased to issue this message on the occasion of29th Annual Meetings of the Association ofDevelopment Financing Institutions in Asia and thePacific (ADFIAP).
Sri Lanka is proud to host the 29th Annual Meetings ofthe Association of Development Financing Institutionsin Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP). The Associationwhich has been in existence for three decades, hasmade a significant contribution by assisting its member Development FinanceInstitutions (DFIs) in their efforts to promote economic development andenhancement of the quality of life in their respective countries. I am happy tonote that the ADFIAP has grown over the years and today counts over 64members from 32 countries.

ADFIAP’s awareness of the context in which DFIs currently operate is amptlydemonstrated through the choice of the conference theme –
“DFIs: Are theySustainable?/ Opportunities in Sustainable Investments”
for theannual conference this year. I trust that you will have fruitful deliberations onthis theme and that this would result in the formulation of viable initiatives forimplementation by member institutions.

It is also particularly fitting that Sri Lanka is hosting the ADFIAP AnnualMeetings in the year when Sri Lanka’s pioneer DFI, the DFCC Bank iscelebrating its Golden Jubillee anniversary. The government of Sri Lankarecognize and acknowledge the contribution made by DFCC during the pastfifty years in assisting the setting up and nurturing of entrepreneurial venturesin diverse economic sectors.

I am sure that this conference will be a success and trust that you will enjoyour hospitality and sample the diversity that our beautiful country has to offerits visitors.

Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Message from the Chairman

On behalf of the ADFIAP Board of Directors, I wish toinvite all members, partners and friends to join us inColombo for the 29th ADFIAP Annual Meetings.

Our gracious host, DFCC Bank, has put together fourexciting days of learning new things, sharingexperiences, meeting old as well as new friends,networking with colleagues, and enjoying what the hospitable people andnatural beauty of Sri Lanka have to offer. Allow me to walk you through theactivities waiting for you in Colombo.

What started in Almaty in 2004 when I assumed chairmanship of theAssociation, the Board of Directors will again convene for a day of retreatbefore the main events to discuss strategic issues, particularly on how best tocommunicate the role and mandate of ADFIAP to its stakeholders. The Board will meet for a second time the next day to review and direct the operationalaspects of the Association. This is governance at work in ADFIAP.

After these Board Meetings, the Chair will report to the General Assembly inthe afternoon of the second day. The GA meeting will also be an occasion formembers to provide their inputs to the betterment of the Association. Alsoscheduled during the meeting are presentations of some members andpartners who wish to inform and update fellow members of certaindevelopments in their institutions.

The night of the second day is the ADFIAP Awards Gala Dinner to honormembers’ outstanding project nominations and the conferment of CEO-of-the-Year award. The mission of the award is to showcase the members’institutional and individual achievements in development finance.

The third day is the Conference proper where members, invited experts andresource persons will dissect the theme, “DFIs: Are they Sustainable?/Opportunities in Sustainable Investments”. We are honored by the presenceof the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, The Honourable Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.who will inaugurate the event. After the conference, our host will hold thetraditional Closing Dinner where the different cultures of members and guestswill be the main feature of the evening.

The last day, the Fellowship Day, will be culminating event where delegatesand guests relax and engage in sports and tourism to boost camaraderie andfriendship.
This is the Annual Meetings in a nutshell – packed with activities andsurprises. You will find all the details of these events mentioned in thiswebsite.

look forward to personally meeting you all in Colombo!

AMBASSADOR JESUS P. TAMBUNTING
Chairman, ADFIAP

Message from the Host – DFCC Bank

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you toColombo, Sri Lanka to attend the 29th AnnualConference of the Association of DevelopmentFinancing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific. DFCCBank is proud to host this event in the year in whichwe celebrate our golden jubilee.

DFCC Bank (Development Finance Corporation ofCeylon as it was then called) is a founder member ofADFIAP, and over the years it has built a strong and fruitful relationship with ADFIAP.

DFCC Bank is not only the pioneer development finance institution in thecountry but is also one of the oldest in Asia. During its 50-year history it hasplayed a catalytic role in financing start-up entrepreneurial ventures, bothlarge and small in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors. Over theyears we have nurtured and partnered with these enterprises, thereby helpingthem become significant players in the country’s economy today.

Responding proactively to the changes in our external environment, DFCCBank has evolved itself from the narrower confines of a DFI to become amulti-product licensed specialised bank with associate and subsidiarycompanies in related sectors. Today, as a Group, we provide a wide range offinancial services and have geared ourselves to be a significant andsustainable player in the country’s financial arena. I am sure those of you whoalso represent DFIs, whether in advanced, emerging or frontier economies,are similarly positioned in your respective countries.

The theme of this year’s conference is “DFIs: Are they Sustainable?” This isrelevant in the current context, when in response to the changing environmentmany DFIs have been compelled to re-consider and re-invent their originalroles. We anticipate that this conference will provide delegates with anopportunity to deliberate on this issue in-depth and benefit from each other’sexperiences, thus leading to greater co-operation among the members ofADFIAP to achieve their common goals and objectives.

I would like to conclude on a congenial note. Sri Lanka is a resplendent islandoffering visitors a multitude of experiences due to its cultural, religious andethnic diversity. It also offers an abundance of nature’s pleasures such asazure seas, sandy beaches, verdant hills, cascading waterfalls and tropical rainforests. In hosting this conference we have made an attempt to enable you to experience at least a fraction of it. I hope many of you will stay on or returnsoon to savour more of what our country has to offer.
I wish you a productive and enjoyable stay in Sri Lanka.

Nihal Fonseka
Director/Chief Executive Officer
DFCC Bank