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.

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.

Establish a monitoring mechanism and an online information management system to ensure the continuation of trade of goods and services in a fair and high-quality manner, protection of consumer rights and transparency in trade-related information.

Why this status: Under way. The Consumer Affairs Authority has procured the design, development, implementation and maintenance of a Consumer Affairs Information System with an all-island rollout and online services for traders. That directly addresses the promised online information-management and monitoring infrastructure, but the currently published consumer process still relies on written, emailed, faxed or mailed complaints rather than demonstrating a fully operational public system.

Introduce a 0% VAT rate for essential food items including locally produced milk & eggs, infant milk, drugs, schoolbooks, stationeries & equipment, magazines & journals, library services, agricultural equipment, fertilizer, solar panels & accessories, machinery for renewable energy generation, motor vehicle and equipment used by a disabled person, locally manufactured software and IT related services, and computers, research and development services.

Why this status: Stalled. Current Inland Revenue guidance continues to list the zero VAT rate for exports and a limited historical tourism concession, while the standard rate remains 18 percent. It does not record the promised zero rate for the listed domestic essential goods and services; the 2025 and 2026 VAT amendments did not implement that package.

Expand financial assistance for low-income families with persons with disabilities to engage in self-employment.

Why this status: Delivered substantially as promised. The Ministry's progress report records that self-employment assistance for low-income persons with disabilities was increased from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000. This is a direct expansion of the financial assistance specified in the pledge.

Provide financial assistance to elderly individuals facing financial difficulties.

Why this status: Delivered substantially as promised. The 2025 Budget increased the monthly allowance for elderly people from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 from April 2025, providing direct financial assistance to elderly recipients facing financial hardship. The assistance is welfare-targeted rather than universal, which is consistent with the pledge's focus on financial difficulty.

Establish a fund to implement an insurance coverage system that ensures protection for all senior citizens.

Why this status: The government’s official national policy repeats this commitment as a disability or elderly-care key activity. That establishes a formal implementation direction, but no nationwide completion evidence is shown, so the promise remains in the works.

Implement a social protection scheme for those employed in the private and informal sectors, including farmers and fishermen.

Why this status: The government’s official national policy repeats this commitment as a disability or elderly-care key activity. That establishes a formal implementation direction, but no nationwide completion evidence is shown, so the promise remains in the works.

Provide financial support for nutritious food packages during pregnancy and the first year of childbirth for low-income families.

Why this status: Partly delivered. The 2026 Budget funds continued nutrition assistance for pregnant and lactating mothers and says coverage will be widened. The reviewed evidence does not establish the promised low-income targeting, food-package form, or complete coverage through the first year after birth.

Provide financial assistance through field officers for obtaining nutritious food for families with urgent needs and malnourished children.

Why this status: The national policy commits to financial assistance through field officers for nutritious food for families with urgent needs and malnourished children.

Provide a minimum monthly financial grant of Rs. 10,000 to persons with chronic illnesses on a needs basis.

Why this status: Partly delivered. A Rs. 10,000 monthly allowance is in place for low-income patients with chronic kidney disease, but the available official evidence does not establish the promised support across the wider category of persons with chronic illnesses.

Provide financial assistance for women-headed families, single parent families, and women affected by Gender-based/intimate partner violence based on needs and income levels.

Why this status: The national policy commits to needs- and income-based financial assistance for women-headed families, single-parent families and women affected by gender-based/intimate-partner violence.

Provide financial aid of Rs. 10,000 monthly to persons with disabilities in low-income families.

Why this status: Delivered substantially as promised. The National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities says the monthly living allowance was increased from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 10,000 from April 2025, with eligibility tied to disability certification and a low household-income threshold; 40,000 beneficiaries were added.

Increase Mahapola and other bursaries in line with the cost of living index.

Why this status: Partly delivered. The Government increased the Mahapola scholarship by Rs. 10,000, but the published evidence does not establish a permanent cost-of-living indexation mechanism for Mahapola and the other bursaries named in the pledge.