President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pledged new incentives to boost export diversification and support value-added products, stressing that government policies must empower rather than obstruct industries as Sri Lanka prepares its 2026 budget.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government will introduce future incentives to encourage export diversification and promote the development of value-added products. Emphasizing the government’s role as a facilitator of growth, he noted that industries must be supported rather than hindered and highlighted the importance of consulting stakeholders when drafting regulations, ensuring adequate time for their implementation.
The President made these remarks yesterday (29) during the 2026 pre-budget discussions held at the Presidential Secretariat with private sector representatives from the agriculture and food and beverage sectors.
The meeting focused on issues such as facilities for farmers, exports, tax concessions, recycling, and the legal framework affecting the industry. Participants also engaged in extensive discussions on ensuring a steady supply of quality agricultural and food products for consumers while addressing the numerous challenges faced by businesses.
President Dissanayake observed that while producers usually determine product prices, in the agricultural sector, it is often consumers who set them due to the absence of a proper mechanism. He pointed to the lack of a systematic approach to product distribution and called for stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector to solve these structural inefficiencies.
The President further explained that the government is committed to securing full private sector cooperation in expanding markets for agricultural produce, dairy, and livestock products. While entrepreneurs hold the responsibility for value addition, the government intends to implement a new framework to make this process more viable and sustainable.
Special attention was also given to the livestock industry, which has struggled to achieve productivity because it has not developed into a structured small and medium-scale sector. The discussions emphasized strengthening livestock production and establishing formalized distribution systems to ensure growth and efficiency.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, and several leading private sector representatives from the agriculture and food and beverage industries.
