By The Pulseline News Desk
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has welcomed the broad policy direction of Budget 2027, saying it reinforces Sri Lanka’s commitment to economic transformation, policy continuity, macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline, while calling for stronger measures to attract foreign investment and accelerate structural reforms.
In its assessment of the Budget, the Chamber has said policy continuity was particularly important as Sri Lanka sought to move beyond economic stabilisation towards a more sustainable, investment-led growth trajectory.
However, it has identified several areas where the Government could have placed greater emphasis, particularly attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), accelerating reforms in land and labour markets, and fast-tracking public procurement reforms to improve the efficiency and speed of project implementation.
The Chamber has also called for more targeted and actionable proposals to unlock the growth potential of sectors such as tourism, agriculture, information technology and business process outsourcing (IT/BPO), and logistics.
While acknowledging the positive measures included in the Budget to improve competitiveness and strengthen external sector resilience, the CCC has stressed that translating policy commitments into tangible economic outcomes would depend largely on effective implementation.
Structural reforms and policy continuity
The Chamber has noted that several structural reforms identified in Budget 2026 had been carried forward and strengthened in the latest Budget, providing businesses and investors with greater certainty and predictability.
Among the key initiatives were the continued implementation of the Trade National Single Window (TNSW), the phased removal of para-tariffs, the rollout of the Digital ID framework and efforts to expand market access through new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Other measures included strengthening one-stop-shop investment facilitation mechanisms, advancing Customs reforms, expanding Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), providing enhanced financing support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and reforming the management of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
According to the Chamber, maintaining momentum on these reforms would be important in improving Sri Lanka’s investment climate and strengthening its competitiveness in international markets.
More than 20 Chamber proposals reflected
The CCC has said more than 20 proposals submitted by the organisation had been reflected in Budget 2027, demonstrating closer alignment between private sector priorities and the Government’s economic policy agenda.
These included the proposed establishment of a professionally managed investment promotion agency to strengthen investor facilitation, continued improvements to trade facilitation and export competitiveness, and the Government’s consideration of a successor programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Chamber has also identified accelerated legislative reforms, the expansion of digital government services, the promotion of cashless payments and wider digital adoption among the proposals incorporated into the Budget.
On energy security, the Budget included measures to accelerate the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and invest in additional fuel storage infrastructure.
Other areas reflecting Chamber proposals included initiatives to optimise underutilised agricultural land, support the expansion of the digital economy and IT/BPO sector, and introduce tax reforms aimed at supporting exporters.
In particular, the CCC has highlighted the acceptance of newly VAT-registered exporters as eligible exporters as a positive measure to improve the operating environment for export-oriented businesses.
Implementation remains critical
The Chamber has said the inclusion of these priorities reflected the value of sustained public-private dialogue and demonstrated increasing alignment between national policy objectives and the requirements of a competitive, export-oriented economy.
However, it has cautioned that policy announcements alone would not be sufficient to generate the desired economic transformation.
It has stressed that the immediate priority should be ensuring the effective and timely implementation of the proposals, particularly those relating to investment facilitation, trade reforms, digitalisation, energy security and export development.
“The priority now must be effective and timely implementation to translate policy commitments into investment, competitiveness, exports and sustainable growth,” the Chamber has said.
The CCC’s assessment highlights the private sector’s expectation that Budget 2027 should move beyond maintaining macroeconomic stability and deliver practical reforms capable of attracting investment, expanding exports and creating new opportunities for businesses.
With Sri Lanka seeking to consolidate its economic recovery, the success of the Budget will increasingly depend on whether its policy commitments translate into faster project implementation, a more competitive business environment and sustained private sector investment.
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