Sri Lanka to Open Underutilized State Lands for Private Investment
- CNL Reporter
- August 13, 2025
- News, Political
- Private Investment
- 0 Comments
Sri Lanka will make underutilized lands and properties owned by state institutions available to private investors for a range of economically productive ventures, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Health and Media Nalinda Jayatissa announced.
The cabinet has approved a proposal covering lands held by the Land Reforms Commission, Regional Plantation Companies, the National Livestock Development Board, Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation, and the Janatha Estate Development Board. These properties, many of which have remained idle or only partially productive, will now be offered for development through private sector participation.
Jayatissa said the move aims to unlock the economic potential of vast tracts of land currently lying underused, while creating opportunities for both large-scale investors and small and medium-scale entrepreneurs. “Investors, including small and medium scale entrepreneurs, can use them for economically productive projects,” he said.
The range of permissible activities will be broad, covering plantation and agricultural ventures, plantation-related tourism projects, livestock development, hydropower and solar energy generation, manufacturing industries linked to plantations, freshwater fisheries, and other innovative economic activities related to the plantation sector.
The government expects the initiative to boost rural employment, diversify export earnings, and encourage sustainable land use, while reducing the financial burden of maintaining idle state assets.
