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AICPA & CIMA’s Sri Lanka National Budget: Proposal Submission 2027 sets out policy proposals aimed at strengthening productivity, investment, and competitiveness across the economy.
The submission brings together recommendations across macroeconomic priorities, taxation, education and skills, banking and capital markets, SMEs and entrepreneurship, state-owned enterprises, IT/BPM and global business services, and value-added exports.
Five priorities for Sri Lanka’s national budget 2027
While the submission addresses a broad range of policy areas, five priorities bring together the key areas of focus for consideration in Budget 2026–27.
Create fiscal space for productive investment
Improve public spending efficiency and reduce unproductive recurrent expenditure to create room for priority investment in infrastructure, digital systems, education, and health. Make better use of underutilised state assets to support this shift.
Broaden the tax base and strengthen tax administration
Focus revenue measures on bringing more economic activity into the formal tax system rather than increasing the burden on existing taxpayers. Strengthen collection through better use of data, analytics and risk-based compliance, while providing greater tax certainty for businesses and investors.
Improve access to finance for productive businesses
Strengthen credit-guarantee mechanisms and reduce excessive reliance on physical collateral to improve financing for SMEs, exporters and growth-oriented businesses. Support longer-term financing by developing capital markets and mobilising private and institutional capital.
Support value-added exports and higher-value services
Direct investment and policy support towards sectors that can increase export earnings, including value-added industries, technology-enabled services, and other knowledge-intensive activities. Improve the conditions for FDI, infrastructure development, skills and international market access.
Invest in skills and digital capability linked to economic needs
Prioritise skills development that responds to industry and future workforce needs, including digital and AI capabilities. Strengthen industry–education collaboration and reskilling to support higher-value employment.
What the submission covers
The five priorities are supported by detailed recommendations across eight areas of the economy
Macroeconomic priorities
Maintain fiscal discipline while creating greater space for productive investment, strengthening exports and improving digital infrastructure.
Taxation
Broaden the tax base, modernise tax administration, improve certainty and reduce unnecessary compliance burdens.
Education and skills
Better align education and skills development with industry needs, future employment and changing technology.
Banking, investment, and capital markets
Improve access to finance, deepen capital markets and mobilise more private and institutional capital.
SMEs and entrepreneurship
Improve access to finance, simplify regulation and strengthen digital adoption, innovation, and export readiness.
State-owned enterprises
Strengthen governance, accountability, transparency, and commercial discipline across the SOE portfolio.
IT, BPM, and global business services
Strengthen digital talent, infrastructure, and investment to support the growth of higher-value technology and business services.
Value-added exports
Expand production capacity, attract investment, improve market access, and enable businesses to move further up the value chain.
Download the Sri Lanka Budget 2027 Proposal
File name: CIMA Sri Lanka National Budget 2027 Proposal - Digital.pdf
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