Sri Lanka’s infrastructure policy is facing a fundamental rethink, with the Government warning that building new roads, hospitals, schools and other public assets cannot continue without examining whether existing infrastructure is being properly utilised, maintained and economically justified.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday said the country’s transition from economic recovery towards long-term transformation required infrastructure investment to be based on resilience, productivity and competitiveness rather than construction activity alone.
Speaking at the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress 2026 in Colombo, she said public authorities must establish the actual need for a project, examine alternatives and calculate its long-term economic, social and environmental consequences before approval.
Her remarks point towards a potentially tougher investment regime at a time when the Government has limited fiscal space and numerous competing demands for public funds.
“We must ask not only whether we can build something but whether we should build it at all,” she said, while also questioning where projects should be located, who would benefit and whether they could be sustained.
The warning is particularly important for Sri Lanka, where infrastructure spending can create substantial obligations extending well beyond the initial construction phase. A project may require continuous allocations for staffing, electricity, repairs, maintenance, upgrades and eventual rehabilitation.
Dr. Amarasuriya therefore stressed that project evaluation must cover not only construction costs but also the resources required to operate and maintain assets throughout their useful lives.
At the same time, she cautioned against an approach that automatically favours new construction while existing State assets remain underutilised or deteriorate because of inadequate maintenance.
This raises a broader question over whether Sri Lanka is receiving maximum value from infrastructure already financed by taxpayers. Before allocating additional billions to new assets, authorities may increasingly have to demonstrate that existing facilities cannot meet the identified need through rehabilitation, expansion or more efficient utilisation.
The Government has identified transport, housing, water supply, education, healthcare, energy, urban development and climate-resilient infrastructure as areas requiring investment. However, the Prime Minister said prioritisation would be essential.
Climate change adds another layer of risk. Sri Lanka continues to face floods, landslides and extreme weather, while public authorities are still rebuilding infrastructure damaged by last December’s floods. The Government therefore faces the challenge of ensuring that new assets are designed to withstand future climate shocks rather than repeatedly requiring reconstruction.
Dr. Amarasuriya also highlighted the changing role of quantity surveyors, who could contribute to feasibility studies, cost planning, procurement strategies, risk management, contract administration and commercial governance.
Meanwhile, technological change is expected to reshape the profession through artificial intelligence, digital construction, data analytics and automated systems.
However Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka President Hasitha Gunasekara stressed that technology could not replace professional judgment, integrity and responsibility.
The emerging message is clear: Sri Lanka’s infrastructure challenge is no longer simply how much it can build, but how intelligently it invests, maintains and manages what it already owns.
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