Sri Lanka’s largest private sector representative body said Budget 2027 could have done more to attract foreign direct investments, calling for faster land and labour reforms and changes to public procurement to speed up project delivery.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) said the budget maintained fiscal discipline and carried forward key reforms from 2026, giving businesses greater policy certainty.
It said more targeted measures in tourism, agriculture, IT and business process outsourcing and logistics would have helped Sri Lanka make the transition from economic stabilisation to investment-led growth.
“More targeted and actionable proposals could have been introduced to unlock the potential of sectors with significant growth opportunities, including tourism, agriculture, IT/BPO and logistics,” the CCC said in a statement.
It said more than 20 of its proposals were reflected in the budget, including the establishment of a professionally managed investment promotion agency. It also welcomed the continued efforts to strengthen the one-stop services for the investors and noted that the government was considering a successor programme with the International Monetary Fund.
The budget also reflected the CCC’s proposals to accelerate the deployment of battery energy storage systems and invest in fuel storage infrastructure. It included measures to make better use of underused agricultural land and support the expansion of the digital economy and the IT and business process outsourcing sector.
Among the reforms carried forward from 2026 were the rollout of the Trade National Single Window, phased removal of para-tariffs, Customs reforms and efforts to widen market access through new free trade agreements.
The CCC also cited the expansion of Bandaranaike International Airport, continued financing support for small and medium-sized businesses and reforms to the management of state-owned enterprises.
“The priority now must be effective and timely implementation to translate policy commitments into investment, competitiveness, exports and sustainable growth,” the CCC said.
