H.E. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, and ambassador to Nepal joined the SiGMA South Asia conference taking place at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams in Colombo today to officially inaugurate the event. The summit is SiGMA’s first event for the South Asian region.
Before joining SiGMA Founder Eman Pulis and Hon. Sunil Handunneththi, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka, for an official ribbon cutting ceremony, he gave an opening speech where he spoke passionately about his joint belief with Pulis that true wealth is found through compassion.
“Becoming a true millionaire – a true human being is by helping others.” He also spoke of his pride in seeing how the SiGMA Auction, which took place last night, sprung into action to deliver relief to communities across Sri Lanka affected by the recent cyclone.
He also noted the importance of regulation, highlighting Malta’s early participation as the first EU member state to regulate through the introduction of its remote gaming act in 2004 – which, incidentally, was also the first year the islands joined the EU. “Regulation comes first and foremost – there is nothing better.”
H.E. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, and ambassador to Nepal.
“When you are a small country you have to think big. And this is what Malta did, and this is what people like [SiGMA Founder] Eman Pulis did – what SiGMA did.
“It is a great honour to see citizens from a number of countries much larger than Malta participating in this conference organized by a Maltese company. That cannot make us more proud, and that is why I am so happy to be here.”
His Excellency went on to stress that despite adverse weather conditions he traveled from Delhi (where he is currently based) to Sri Lanka especially for this conference. It is, he noted, important for ambassadors of Malta to be present at events like SiGMA, because ‘they are for us a national treasure.’
Several Maltese ambassadors have participated in SiGMA events this year, including the ambassador to the Philippines and China, H.E John Busuttil and the ambassador to Brazil and Chile, H.E John Aquilina – who attended SiGMA Asia and BiS SiGMA South America events respectively.
He also highlighted his wish to see neighbouring country India explore similar opportunities in the future, hinting at potential SiGMA projects that may take place there over the next year.
“I’ve lived in India now for five years; I represented Malta in India as High Commissioner for five years. So hopefully, as Mr. Pulis said, we will see regulation there as well. And I will try my best to promote that as much as I can.”
