President Dissanayake announces tax breaks and grants to expand rural telecom towers
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced in his budget speech on 12 November 2026 that Sri Lanka will offer a five-year tax break to promote telecommunications tower construction in rural areas.
He told parliament that 700 to 800 new towers are required for rural high-speed broadband internet, with 573 currently being built under the program.
To incentivize construction in low-density areas, the government will provide grants covering 75 percent of construction costs or 35 million rupees, whichever is less, plus five million rupees for electricity connections.
Dissanayake said private operators avoid sparsely populated regions, leaving villages without coverage. He set a target to achieve broadband coverage across all areas of the country by 2030.
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How the story developed
- EThis storyPresident Dissanayake announced tax breaks and construction grants to expand rural telecommunications infrastructure.
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