Selyn warns of policy and access disconnect for SMEs

Selyn Business Development Director Selyna Peiris yesterday reminded that while the 2026 Budget allocates a record Rs. 80 billion for SMEs, most of it risks being underutilised due to deep structural and procedural barriers that prevent small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – particularly youth and women-led ventures outside Colombo from accessing promised support. 

She urged policymakers to focus on “implementation, not intention” if Sri Lanka is to prevent SMEs from falling back into the informal economy.

Sharing insights at the Daily FT–Colombo University Alumni Association post-Budget panel discussion, she welcomed the continuity in macroeconomic direction and the inclusion of the SME voice in national Budget discussions, but said the real test lies in execution.

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