The government has gazetted the proposed Public-Private Partnership Bill, paving the way for the establishment of a dedicated National Agency and a legal framework to promote and facilitate public-private partnership (PPP) projects in Sri Lanka.

The Bill, titled Public-Private Partnerships Bill, provides provisions for the establishment of a National Agency for Public-Private Partnerships and seeks to introduce the necessary legal provisions to encourage and facilitate partnerships between the government and the private sector.

The gazette has been issued after Cabinet approval was granted on October 19, for the publication of the proposed legislation and its subsequent presentation to Parliament.

The Cabinet had initially approved the introduction of legislation to establish the National Agency for Public-Private Partnerships at its meeting held on June 2, 2025.

Accordingly, the Bill was drafted by the Legal Draftsman and subsequently received clearance from the Attorney General before being submitted to the Cabinet for approval to publish it in the government gazette.

The proposal was submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

The proposed legislation is intended to establish an institutional mechanism to facilitate, coordinate and promote PPP projects in Sri Lanka, while providing a formal legal framework for their development and implementation.

The proposed National Agency is expected to play a central role in facilitating PPP initiatives and supporting collaboration between public institutions and private-sector investors.

The legislation also seeks to address challenges encountered in implementing PPP projects, including institutional coordination, transparency, procurement procedures and regulatory constraints.

It further aims to integrate PPP projects with the public investment management framework established under the Public Financial Management Act, with a view to strengthening fiscal discipline and project oversight.

The proposed framework is also expected to provide for transparent and competitive procedures in selecting private-sector partners, with procurement activities aligned with the relevant guidelines issued by the National Procurement Commission.