Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne informed the House today that he formally endorsed the certificates for three important amendment Bills yesterday , completing the legislative process required for them to become law.The certified Bills are the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill, the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill, and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Bill, according to a statement issued by the Department of Communications of Parliament.
The Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill was introduced to amend the Social Security Contribution Levy Act, No. 25 of 2022. The Bill was presented to Parliament on October 9, 2025, and subsequently approved on December 5, 2025.
The Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill, also passed on December 5, seeks to revise Section 2 of the principal law. The amendments limit the application of the ten per cent gross collection levy to the period from April 1, 2023, to October 1, 2025, increase the levy on bookmakers and gambling businesses to 18 per cent from October 1, 2025, and raise the casino entrance fee for Sri Lankan citizens to USD 100.
Meanwhile, the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Bill, tabled in Parliament on November 14, 2025, introduces major reforms to the Strategic Development Projects Act, No. 14 of 2008. The changes include reducing the maximum tax holiday period from 25 years to 10 years, introducing a structured project evaluation process requiring the Board of Investment (BOI) to refer projects to the Ministry of Finance for a mandatory ex-ante cost-benefit analysis, and strengthening post-approval monitoring.
Under the amended framework, the BOI will have authority to conduct ex-post performance monitoring, impose administrative penalties, or suspend or revoke concessions in cases of non-compliance with key performance indicators. The amendments also require beneficiaries to file tax returns and mandate the Ministry of Finance to publish an annual report on tax expenditures linked to strategic development projects.Following the Speaker’s certification, the three Bills have now come into force as the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 24 of 2025, the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 25 of 2025, and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Act, No. 26 of 2025
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