📈 2027 Budget to Heavily Focus on Rural Empowerment, Says President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 that the upcoming 2027 budget will focus on long-term rural economic empowerment to address entrenched poverty. • Rural Economic Context: Rural poverty accounts for ~80% of Sri Lanka's poor, driven by structural constraints, low productivity, land fragmentation, and limited market access. • Key Initiatives & Financial Highlights: • Collateral-Free Lending: Successfully channeled nearly LKR 18 Bn so far to address capital shortages for rural entrepreneurs without financial assets. • Infrastructure Investment: Treasury revenue will fund rural roads, high-speed digital networks, and the rehabilitation of minor tanks and irrigation canals to link rural production with urban centers. • Strategic Focus Areas: • Transitioning rural smallholder agriculture from subsistence-based survival toward modern tech integration, climate resilience, and cold-storage access. • Diversifying economic opportunities beyond traditional smallholder agriculture, marine & inland fisheries, and micro-retail village boutiques.