Reported earlier by Daily Mirror

Colombo, June 24 (Daily Mirror) - As Daily Mirror reported on May 5, 2026 (under the 'title Sri Lanka’s new VAT rules could have negative outcome on tourism, telecom, IT sectors' written by Panduka Keerthinanda), government Gazette amendments expanding VAT coverage to the digital economy had already triggered concern across multiple sectors, including telecommunications, tourism, and information technology.

In that earlier report, industry experts cautioned that the proposed framework, including increased VAT on financial services and expanded taxation of digital transactions, could have created additional pressure on businesses and consumers.