President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (6) launched the “National QR Payment Adoption Programme,” marking a key step in Sri Lanka’s transition towards a cash-lite economy.
The programme was officially unveiled at the Presidential Secretariat, with the primary objective of reducing reliance on physical currency and promoting digital transactions across the country.
Under the initiative, financial institutions have removed the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on all LankaQR transactions valued up to Rs. 5,000, with effect from today.
The programme is being implemented with the support of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, GovTech institutions, LankaPay, and other financial institutions.
It is structured around four key pillars: removing barriers to transactions, incentivising public adoption, introducing new technologies, and conducting nationwide awareness campaigns.
Addressing the launch, the President called on all banks and financial institutions to actively support the initiative, describing it as a more convenient and efficient method for the public to carry out transactions.
He noted that while Sri Lanka has a long-standing culture centred on trade and transactions, the country has yet to fully transition from traditional, paper-based systems to modern digital platforms, emphasising the need to accelerate this shift.
