Budget 2027: Rs 100 million for a National Single Investment Window, and a new Treasury-owned body

The first investment-facilitation measures in Budget 2027 are an allocation, a new Treasury-owned company, and related bills. Until rules are published, this is a direction of travel, not a scheme to plan a raise around.

At 2:40 PM Asia/Colombo on 12 November 2026, Newswire’s live updates reported: “The government has allocated Rs. 1,990 million for the establishment of a National Single Trade Window and Rs. 100 million for the creation of a National Single Investment Window.” The trade-window figure is covered in a companion post. Daily Mirror and Daily FT both also recorded Rs. 100 million for the investment window. The official speech confirms that figure, and says: “Bids have been called to obtain a consultancy firm for the creation of the National Single Window for Investment, and these bids are currently being evaluated. Rs. 100 million has been allocated for its establishment.”

The official speech confirms a new investment-promotion company, “100 percent owned by the Treasury, comprising professionals with private sector and international experience,” with market-competitive salaries “as was considered in the establishment of the GovTech institution.” It does not name the company, give it its own budget, or say what happens to the Board of Investment.

At 2:35 PM, Newswire quoted a “special incentives package” to encourage investment. That exact phrase was not found in the official English structural-changes section. The official tax proposals do include a specific incentive: BOI-approved export-oriented manufacturing or tourism enterprises investing at least USD 3 million may opt for a 200 percent enhanced capital allowance. This article does not treat that allowance as the same thing as the live-blog package.

Related bills, and one earlier signal

The official speech confirms that the draft Investment Protection Bill, and a draft Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amendment) Bill, have been referred to the Attorney General. Those remain process steps, not enacted law.

A prior signal should not be written up as today’s announcement. On 28 October 2026, Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando told an SEC and Colombo Stock Exchange forum that a “technology-based Single Window Project” for investors “was nearing completion,” according to Newswire. Today’s official line is Rs. 100 million “for its establishment,” with consultancy bids already being evaluated — consistent with a project already under way, but not proof that the Rs. 100 million finishes that project.

Who it affects

Founders raising, or hoping to raise, foreign capital would be the users of a working single window, but that is still a future state. Port City operators should watch for the promised amendment once a bill text exists. Anyone already in a Board of Investment process should not assume their counterpart changes today — the new company’s relationship to existing agencies was not explained.

A Digital Startup Fund of Funds is now named in the official speech, as one item in a Rs. 10,000 million package; see the companion post. Angel and venture-capital tax relief, and a virtual special economic zone, were discussed in the press before today and were not found in the official digital or tax sections opened for this article.

What founders should do next

Do not model a term sheet or location decision on undescribed incentives. If you are mid-way through an approval, stay with your current agency until a Treasury, Board of Investment or gazette notice says otherwise. Watch for the Investment Protection Bill after it leaves the Attorney General, and for any draft Port City amendment. The official speech is on the Treasury site. Parliament’s timetable has the second-reading vote at 6:00 PM on 20 November and the third-reading vote at 6:00 PM on 14 December (Parliament news, 11 November 2026).

What we still don’t know

The new company has no published name, budget, or relationship to the Board of Investment. It is still unclear whether the Rs. 100 million finishes the October single-window project. Angel and VC tax relief were not found in the official tax proposals. Written after the official English speech PDF was opened on 12 November 2026.

Sources opened on 12 November 2026, and checked against the official Budget Speech 2027 PDF on treasury.gov.lk (https://www.treasury.gov.lk/web/budget-speeches/section/2027; file https://www.treasury.gov.lk/api/file/ea495202-fcb1-4c78-b34e-58389cb20738), English text printed pages 12–14 and 74–75 (enhanced capital allowances). Not legal, tax or investment advice. Live-blog wording is retained where it differs.