Tracking delivery on manifesto promises

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 '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.

Establish Research and Development centers and ICT parks in the Western, Northern, Eastern, and Southern provinces.

Why this status: A Technology Service and Support Centre was opened at the University of Vavuniya to support innovation, commercialisation and SMEs in the Northern Province. This is a concrete beginning, but no evidence verifies R&D centres and ICT parks across all four promised provinces.

Build partnerships with global ICT companies and research institutions.

Why this status: Government agencies have actively built international ICT collaboration through a Japan–Sri Lanka business-matching event involving companies and institutions from both countries, and domestic research-export partnerships. This is relevant delivery, but it does not establish a comprehensive long-term partnership framework with global ICT companies and research institutions.

Increase income from ornamental fish and aquatic plant exports by 25% by 2028.

Why this status: NAQDA is expanding ornamental-fish and aquatic-plant capacity through breeding centres, producer support and training. Export earnings were reported for the first seven months of 2025, but no official baseline-and-result calculation shows a 25% increase by 2028, so the target is not yet treated as delivered.

Expand the ICT workforce to 200,000 professionals by 2030 through training and educational programs.

Why this status: The government’s digital learning platform explicitly frames a national goal of 200,000 professionals by 2030 and reports active training delivery. This is a credible implementation route, but the public record does not establish the current size of the ICT workforce or show the 2030 target has been achieved.

Increase the annual production of prawns above 25,000 tons.

Why this status: The government is operating shrimp-production projects and pursuing industry recovery measures, including breeding and release activity in 25 reservoirs. No official annual prawn-production figure yet demonstrates output above 25,000 tons, so this remains in progress rather than fulfilled.

Establish 5,000 small-scale poultry farms to empower low-income women.

Why this status: A government programme for low-income rural farmers is continuing poultry support in 2026, with 50,000 chicks planned and a separate egg-laying-chick programme for 100 farm families. It is relevant activity, but it does not verify the pledge’s 5,000 small-scale farms for low-income women.

Provide health insurance coverage for registered dairy cattle.

Why this status: The policy directly commits to health-insurance coverage for registered dairy cattle. No evidence shows nationwide operation of the scheme.

Establish 7,500 dairy farms to strengthen youth entrepreneurship.

Why this status: The 2025 Budget funded dairy-productivity investment and a separate youth-entrepreneurship programme in agriculture. These are relevant implementation steps, but no official result verifies 7,500 youth dairy farms, so the numerical pledge is not treated as delivered.

Establish 7,500 dairy farms to empower low-income women.

Why this status: The 2025 Budget committed Rs. 2.5 billion over 2025–26 to improve dairy value chains and dairy-farm productivity. This is relevant implementation activity, but no official result identifies 7,500 dairy farms established for low-income women, so the numerical pledge remains unverified.

Increase the yield per coconut tree to 80 coconuts per annum.

Why this status: The government has launched substantial coconut-productivity programmes, including rehabilitation, irrigation and subsidised inputs across 85,000 acres, as well as the Northern Coconut Triangle with high-yield planting material. These are credible delivery steps, but no official result yet shows the manifesto’s specific target of 80 coconuts per tree per year has been achieved.