Sri Lanka’s Next Export Dollars May Come Without a Ship
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Ministry of Digital Economy held a high-level discussion on 10 November 2026 on implementing the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2026–2030, focusing on strengthening the contribution of the ICT/BPM sector to the country’s export growth ambitions.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, with the participation of Mr. G. G. S. C. Roshan, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya and senior officials of GovTech. The EDB delegation was led by Chairman Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe and included Director General Mr. Erandika Dissanayake, Additional Director General (Development) Ms. Kumudinie Mudalige and other senior officials.
Formulated by the EDB under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the NEDP 2026–2030 serves as Sri Lanka’s national framework for advancing export development. It sets an ambitious target of increasing total exports to US$36 billion by 2030, including US$5 billion from digital products and services.
The discussion focused on identifying strategic interventions and strengthening the role of the Ministry of Digital Economy and its affiliated institutions, including GovTech, as Lead Implementing Agencies responsible for delivering key actions under the NEDP.
Among the key proposals were targeted interventions to achieve the US$5 billion ICT export target through the Digital Products and Services Advisory Committee, establishing an effective mechanism to capture and monitor service sector export earnings, and addressing the foreign exchange conversion gap affecting the accurate measurement of service exports.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of introducing mandatory registration for exporters and strengthening the inclusion of services in bilateral and regional trade agreements to improve access to international markets.
The meeting underscored the importance of strong institutional leadership, high-level policy intervention and coordinated action among government institutions to accelerate the implementation of these strategic initiatives. Collaboration between the EDB, Ministry of Digital Economy, GovTech and other relevant stakeholders is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening Sri Lanka’s digital economy and expanding its presence in international markets.
The EDB continues to engage with key ministries and institutions to facilitate the implementation of the NEDP 2026–2030, strengthen inter-agency coordination, advance sectoral priorities and work towards achieving Sri Lanka’s national export target of US$36 billion by 2030.
