Tracking delivery on manifesto promises

Increase the salaries of upcountry plantation workers compared to the cost of living.

Why this status: Delivered substantially as promised. The 2026 Budget raised the basic daily wage from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,550 and added a Rs. 200 attendance incentive; the President's Office later reported a Rs. 1,750 daily wage. The basic-wage increase (+14.8%) and full attended-day package (+29.6%) both exceeded the CCPI increase from 190.9 in September 2024 to 208.8 in August 2026 (+9.4%), using DCS's 2021=100 series. Caveat: the Rs. 200 is attendance-dependent, is not EPF-eligible, and Parliament said its MoU-based mechanism needs a stronger legal footing. The pledge called for wages to rise relative to living costs, not a permanent automatic-indexation formula.

Establish a Commission Against Discrimination with a legal mandate.

Why this status: An official government policy or Cabinet decision directly addresses this commitment. It is evidence of a formal implementation direction, but not proof of nationwide completion, so it remains in the works.

Introduce a new constitution that strengthens democracy and ensures equality of all citizens.

Why this status: Under way. The Government says it is considering earlier constitutional-reform reports and proposals, after which it will take a basic concept paper to Cabinet, present a draft to the public, revise it through dialogue and seek referendum approval. That is a defined drafting process, but no new constitution has yet been enacted.

Introduce a retirement pension system for foreign employed citizens.

Why this status: Delivered substantially as promised. The 2026 Budget introduced a contributory pension scheme for foreign workers, and the Social Security Board now describes a jointly implemented migrant-worker pension scheme with monthly retirement, survivor and disability benefits for registered overseas workers.

Enact a modern investment law to streamline business procedures and improve access to finance for SMEs.

Why this status: Modern investment-law reform is advancing but not complete. The 2026 Budget reports FDI-streamlining amendments to existing investment laws and planned PPP and Investment Protection Acts; it also proposes an expanded enhanced-capital-allowance threshold for SMEs. The promised single modern law that streamlines business procedures and improves SME access to finance was not shown as enacted, so this is an active reform programme rather than a fulfilled pledge.

Abolish the executive presidency and appoint a non-executive president by 2025.

Why this status: Not delivered by the pledged 2025 deadline. The Government stated in December 2025 that abolition of the executive presidency would be undertaken through the future new-constitution process, while the Presidential Secretariat currently identifies the officeholder as Sri Lanka's Executive President. The constitutional change has not occurred.

Establish an Anti-Corruption Commission office in every district by 2026.

Why this status: Under way, but not complete. Parliament reported plans for CIABOC to establish district-level offices, initially aiming for at least nine provincial offices. That is an implementation step toward local access, but it falls short of evidence that an office has been established in every district by the pledge's 2026 deadline.

Implement an electronic bidding system in the construction sector by 2025.

Why this status: The 2025 deadline was missed. The 2026 Budget still describes creation of an e-procurement system as a reform being implemented, rather than a completed electronic bidding system. A 2026 Government procurement notice expressly states that electronic procurement is not permitted for that tender. This does not rule out isolated electronic submissions, but it is strong evidence that the promised construction-sector electronic bidding system was not implemented by 2025.

Expand the harbour infrastructure to increase capacity by 30% by 2027.

Why this status: Under way. The 2026 Budget commits to capacity and efficiency projects at Colombo Port, including Western Container Terminal Phase II, feasibility studies for ports logistics centres and the proposed Colombo North Port Development Project. The sources do not yet demonstrate the promised 30 percent capacity increase by 2027.

Introduce a digital mobile phone app for para-transit transport services by 2025.

Why this status: The pledge set a 2025 deadline. Official transport material from 2026 documents an information app for a disability-priority bus pilot, not a mobile app for para-transit services. No official record was found of the promised para-transit app having been introduced by the deadline; the deadline-specific promise is therefore assessed as broken.

Establish a national e-mobility secretariat to develop a national EV charging network by 2025.

Why this status: Partly delivered, after the stated deadline. PUCSL introduced a mandatory regulatory framework for EV-charging service providers in January 2026, advancing the charging ecosystem. However, no official evidence found establishes the promised national e-mobility secretariat or a completed national EV-charging network by 2025.

Implement a collateral-free loan scheme of up to Rs. 10 million for micro, small, and medium-scale entrepreneurs.

Why this status: Government-backed collateral-free MSME credit is operating through the National Credit Guarantee Institution, with more than Rs. 4.027 billion granted by 2025. However, the public evidence does not verify the promised scheme’s specific availability of loans up to Rs. 10 million per entrepreneur.

Increase the capacity and accessibility of the National Archive by establishing an efficient archival system and public record management using modern technologies such as Block Chain, Cloud and AI.

Why this status: The Government adopted a National Policy on Archives and Records Management in April 2025 and directed preparation of a replacement Archives and Records Management Bill. The National Archives says the policy encourages new technologies to improve access and transparency. This is a meaningful institutional foundation, but there is no evidence yet of the pledged blockchain, cloud and AI-enabled archival system or a completed capacity/access expansion, so it remains underway.

Use modern engineering technology to save mangroves and coastal environmental systems and reduce coastal erosion.

Why this status: There is a funded coastal-erosion intervention: the 2026 Budget allocates Rs. 100 million for an immediate practical and permanent solution to coastal erosion at the Kalu River lagoon. This is relevant implementation, but the official evidence does not yet document the promised modern engineering approach, mangrove protection, or a programme covering coastal ecosystems nationally. It is therefore progress, not completion.

Introduce necessary technologies to minimize post-harvest damage and increase diversification of agricultural, maritime, and freshwater products.

Why this status: The Government has funded practical post-harvest-loss measures: modern paddy drying machinery for relevant farmer companies or cooperatives, and Rs. 500 million for fishing-wharf infrastructure specifically to minimize post-harvest losses. These are concrete starts in agricultural and maritime supply chains. Public evidence does not yet demonstrate a wider technology rollout, freshwater-product coverage, or increased product diversification, so the pledge remains underway.

Implement suitable methods, identified by research and development-based pilot projects, to minimize human-animal conflicts.

Why this status: Cabinet considered a comprehensive programme to reduce wild-animal damage to crops and livelihoods, developed with input from universities, farmers, environmental groups and public bodies, and established a ministerial review mechanism. The public record does not yet show the promised R&D-pilot methods being adopted, so this remains in progress.

Establish a technical task force with specialist knowledge in Information Technology (IT), Big Data, Machine Learning, AI, Communication & Networking, and social media to encourage local entrepreneurs.

Why this status: The government says it established a 30-member Digital Task Force, and separately budgeted a Start-Up Fund with AI, cloud and digital-infrastructure support. But the recorded task force is under education reforms, and the public source does not demonstrate the full promised specialist composition or a direct mandate to encourage local entrepreneurs. This is partial rather than full delivery.

Establish necessary systems, mechanisms, and tools to integrate the elderly community and people with disabilities into the national workforce.

Why this status: The government has launched a disability employment matching programme with employer participation and a 50% wage subsidy for up to 24 months. This is a concrete workforce-integration mechanism for persons with disabilities. However, no comparable national mechanism is evidenced for integrating older people into the workforce, so the combined pledge is only partly delivered.

Establish 'Technology Development Centers' in selected districts.

Why this status: A Technology Service and Support Centre (technology incubation centre) was opened at the University of Vavuniya in January 2026 to transfer technology and support SMEs and entrepreneurs in the Northern Province. It is concrete delivery of the model, but the pledge calls for centres in selected districts and no national rollout count is yet verified.

Deploy proper waste disposal bins and facilities to reduce environmental pollution by e-waste and promote recycling.

Why this status: An e-waste collection centre has been opened by Colombo Municipal Council and the Western Province Waste Management Authority, providing a concrete recycling facility. The evidence is local rather than national and does not demonstrate broad deployment of bins and facilities, so this is assessed as early progress only.

Establish tissue culture and genetic engineering centres and laboratories to develop marketable products such as herbal medicines, nutraceuticals, food supplements, and cosmeceuticals.

Why this status: The policy directly commits to tissue-culture and genetic-engineering centres and laboratories for marketable herbal, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical products. No nationwide completion evidence is shown.

Establish a national commission to manage and conduct proper research and development in indigenous medicine.

Why this status: The policy directly commits to a national commission to manage and conduct research and development in indigenous medicine. No evidence shows the commission is operational.

Implement research and development-based solutions to promote inquiry-based learning in school education.

Why this status: The education system has established a research advisory committee, approved school-based research studies, and begun an action-research journal and school research activities. These are credible R&D foundations, but official material does not yet demonstrate system-wide adoption of inquiry-based learning methods.

Develop alternative local food products to increase the nutrition levels of children.

Why this status: The Health Ministry reports a rice-based Thriposha alternative was piloted for children with moderate acute malnutrition, and fortified rice in the school-meal programme began scaling to 12 districts from January 2025. This is research- and pilot-based activity relevant to the pledge, but not proof that a new local-food solution has been fully implemented nationwide.

Increase the accuracy of methods to identify fish-rich areas, use solar and LNG-powered vessels, provide larger vessels with storage facilities, and modernize vessels and fishing equipment.

Why this status: One defined part is funded: the 2026 Budget allocates Rs. 100 million for a satellite-based system to identify fish grounds and communicate that information to fishers. That directly advances the promise's fish-area identification element. The official evidence does not show solar/LNG vessels, larger cold-storage vessels, or broad equipment modernization, so the overall multi-part pledge is only partially delivered.