📈 SL-Nepal Launch Cross-Border Digital QR Payments

Sri Lanka and Nepal have officially integrated their national payment systems, allowing Nepali travelers to make real-time digital payments across the island. This move strengthens regional financial integration and supports the ICT/BPM and tourism sectors. • Overall Connectivity: Nepali visitors can now use domestic apps and connectIPS to scan and pay at over 400,000 LankaQR merchant locations island-wide. • Strategic Partnership: The initiative links the national payment infrastructures of LankaPay and Nepal Clearing House Ltd (NCHL), regulated by the respective Central Banks. • Economic Impact: The arrangement aims to boost tourism and business exchanges by removing physical currency exchange hurdles. It specifically benefits SMEs by allowing local merchants to accept international digital payments seamlessly. • Regional Integration: This marks a major milestone in South Asian interoperability, promoting a secure, cashless ecosystem between the two nations. _Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka & LankaPay (May 2026)_