Digital Economy and Cyber Security Acts this year

Thursday, 26 February 2026 03:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government is stepping up its efforts to introduce two major pieces of legislation—the Digital Economy Act and the Cyber Security Act, to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the country’s digital transformation program.

Addressing the media yesterday, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne said the proposed Digital Economy Act will seek to create a dedicated Digital Economy Authority tasked with integrating all Ministries and State-run institutions into a single digital ecosystem.

“We are looking forward to introducing two new institutions through these Acts,” Eng. Weeraratne said, referring to the Digital Economy Authority and a Cyber Security Authority to be established under separate legislation.

He said the Digital Economy Act is critical to formalising and regulating ongoing digital initiatives across the public sector. “The Digital Economy Act is essential because we need proper policies and frameworks for the digital activities we are currently undertaking,” he added.

Parallel to this, Eng. Weeraratne said the Cyber Security Act will establish a Cyber Security Authority to oversee and enforce cyber protection standards across digital systems and public infrastructure.

“As we move towards digitalisation, it is crucial that we have the right protections to face threats in cyberspace. We need to ensure that cybersecurity measures are properly and legally enforced within these digital systems,” he explained.

The Deputy Minister noted that the drafting of both Bills is in its final stages and that the Government expects to present the legislation to Parliament within the year.

The move comes as Sri Lanka accelerates its broader digitalisation agenda, including the rollout of a national digital identity card system and the development of a unified ‘Super App’ to consolidate State services.

However, the proposal to establish new authorities has drawn some criticism. Analysts and governance experts have previously questioned whether creating additional institutions rather than reforming or strengthening existing ones risks adding administrative layers, overlapping mandates, and increased costs.

Concerns have been raised that without clear delineation of responsibilities and accountability mechanisms, new bodies could contribute to bureaucratic inefficiencies rather than resolving structural challenges within the public sector.

The Deputy Minister, however, maintains that specialised and legally empowered institutions are necessary to coordinate digital policy, enforce standards, and safeguard national cyber infrastructure as the country transitions towards a more digitally integrated economy.