Saturday Nov 08, 2025
Saturday Nov 08, 2025
Saturday, 8 November 2025 02:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Disanayake yesterday wooed foreign investors with the 2026 Budget presented in Parliament.
“An investor is an asset to us,” the President said during his speech and added Sri Lanka will continue to attract foreign investment through a transparent and rules-based mechanism.
He said that the National People’s Power (NPP) Government has changed the way Sri Lanka looks at foreign investors and their attitude. “We created the attitude that they come to us to support us,” he added.
“We are in the process of strengthening the regulatory framework by enacting the necessary legal statues to ensure investment protection and the ease of doing business,” he said.
The President also said Sri Lanka is building a new environment where cronyism, racketeering, and nepotism are replaced by credibility, discretion by predictability, and privilege by partnership. “This kind of environment helps attract quality investments, and provide the strength required for the recovery of our nation,” said President Disanayake in presenting the 2026 Budget which envisions a 7% economic growth in the medium from 4-5% at present.
“In order to transform Sri Lanka into a favourable destination for investors, we have already created a rule of law, long-term Government policies, an independent judiciary and an investment-friendly environment free from corruption. A transparent investment environment free from hand-to-hand dealings, bribery and favouritism has now been created.”
Additionally the President said new legal frameworks, visa policies and other infrastructure facilities required by investors are being developed expeditiously and business facilities are being created. In this way, a liaison manager is being connected to facilitate investors who come and achieve fruitful results.
“We are giving the message that this is an honest, beautiful country, a friendly country for investors,” the President emphasised during his 2026 Budget speech.
The 2026 Budget unveiled a host of opportunities for investors in a wide range of sectors including exports, digital and IT infrastructure, tourism, port and aviation, blue economy, energy, water supply, agriculture and livestock, telecom infrastructure. It also announced a Residence visa system for foreign investors who meet certain minimum investment threshold in priority sectors or eligible projects.
The President also said to create a stronger rule-based incentive regime for foreign and domestic investments, amendments have been introduced to the Strategic Development Projects Act and the Colombo Port City Commission Act. “These amendments streamline the procedures for foreign direct investment (FDI), enhance the transparency of the incentive system, and provide the consistency that foreign investors seek. We believe that these amendments will significantly increase the inflow of foreign direct investment into the country,” Disanayake added.
He said that investing in Sri Lanka’s economic and social infrastructure is crucial to support economic growth, job creation, and increasing the resilience of the economy. “The private sector can play an important role in providing this infrastructure through strong partnerships with the Government. The draft Bill, which provides a transparent legal framework for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, was submitted for public consultation in September and will be presented to Parliament for approval in early 2026,” he said adding that to further strengthen investor confidence and protect investments, a new “Investment Protection Act” will be passed in early 2026.
