• Govt. to roll out new initiatives to boost QR code payment adoption
• Plans underway to digitise toll payments on highways within 3 months
• GovPay digital platform expands with more Govt. institutions joining
• Digital ID project set for launch in 6 months; will integrate digital payments

The Ministry of Digital Economy plans to relaunch the LankaQR platform this year, addressing all issues that proved to be barriers for its adoption previously.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne stated that following the introduction of the GovPay digital payment platform, the next phase in achieving a cashless economy would involve the relaunch of the LankaQR platform, addressing the issues that had proven to be a barrier for its adoption.  

“This covers Government payments (GovPay). After that, we have to look at how other types of payments can be done digitally. For that, we have identified that QR-based payment will be most effective. 

“Previously, a QR payment platform named LankaQR was launched, but it was not properly adopted. The number of users was very low,” he said.

Weeraratne pointed out that the 1% transaction fee levied by the LankaQR platform had proved to be a major barrier in its adoption. 

Accordingly, he said that they were looking to address all such issues that had proven to be a barrier for the adoption of the LankaQR platform and relaunch it in 2025.

Furthermore, he stated that the Government had several initiatives in the pipeline to be implemented later this year, aiming to increase interest among the general populace with regard to QR payments and to facilitate adoption of the LankaQR platform. 

Weeraratne noted that the goal of these initiatives, which would be introduced by the middle of 2025, was to create an economy where even a small shop by the roadside would facilitate QR payments, helping Sri Lanka to achieve a cashless economy.

He added that as part of creating a cashless economy, they were looking at digitising the toll payment system in highways to allow for payments either by credit cards or QR codes, revealing further that this initiative would be implemented within 2-3 months.

Additionally, he stated that when the GovPay platform was launched last month, only around 16 Government institutions had been connected to it, whereas the number had now increased to 18. He further revealed that the plan was to connect a further 30 Government institutions to the platform by April. 

Moreover, Weeraratne stated that the digital ID project would be implemented in about six months and that the plan was to connect that system with these digital payment platforms.