He made the remarks while inaugurating the National QR Payment Promotion Programme, a key initiative aimed at advancing the country’s digital economy.
Highlighting the goal of formalizing the informal economy, the President stated that the government aims to build a $15 billion digital economy through sector-wide digitalization. While acknowledging the nation’s strong transactional culture, he noted the challenge of popularizing digital systems effectively.
“What comes to mind when we say QR? A tool used for fuel rationing. When it was suggested that fertilizer would be distributed via QR, it was perceived as an attempt to cut subsidies. QR has, therefore, become a symbol of limitation. If introduced to general transactions, people might see it as another restriction. A specialized educational program is essential,” he said.
President Dissanayake expressed confidence that QR-based transactions would gain rapid acceptance nationwide. He called on banks and financial institutions to take a leading role in this transformation.
“Many financial companies are preparing advertisements for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. If we can use this as a catalyst to turn festival transactions into QR-code payments, it will be a significant turning point. Society is ready to embrace new things, but the innovation must be attractive and convenient,” he added.
