Sri Lanka to gazette new PPP enterprises legislation following cabinet approval

Cabinet approval for the proposed legislation was granted during the ministerial meeting held on June 2, 2025, signalling the government's commitment to formalising public-private partnership arrangements across the country. The draft act is designed to create a structured legal environment that will facilitate collaborative enterprises between state and private entities, addressing a longstanding gap in Sri Lanka's regulatory framework for such joint ventures.

Once gazetted, the new act will provide statutory provisions governing the establishment, operation, and management of public-private partnership enterprises. The legislation seeks to standardise processes and protect the interests of all stakeholders involved in such collaborative ventures, ranging from infrastructure and utilities to social service delivery.

A key component of the legislative package is the proposed establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises, which will serve as the central coordinating body responsible for overseeing, regulating, and facilitating PPP initiatives across government departments and agencies. The agency is expected to provide technical guidance, ensure compliance with statutory requirements, and streamline approval processes for partnership proposals.

The Office of the Legal Draftsman has been tasked with finalising the legislative text for official gazetting. The move reflects broader government efforts to attract private sector participation in key development sectors while maintaining appropriate public sector oversight and accountability.

Photo: The Old Parliament Building in Colombo, now the Presidential Secretariat, January 2015. Grayswoodsurrey via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).