The Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera
Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera asked the Minister of Finance about additional charges imposed by merchants on consumers using credit cards, debit cards or QR payments. He sought clarification on whether such charges are permitted, what remedies consumers have, and what barriers are limiting wider digital and QR-based transactions in Sri Lanka. He also asked whether the Government is considering reimbursing a flat per-transaction fee to promote digital payments and what progress has been made on that proposal.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, my question is to the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies.
¶ 02 We all know that following the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advancement, people increasingly use debit cards, credit cards and QR codes to carry out transactions online. While many countries transitioned rapidly, Sri Lanka lagged behind. Under the Government’s economic programme, steps have been taken to steer the economy towards digitalization, including establishing a dedicated Ministry.
¶ 03 However, when making payments by credit/debit cards or QR codes, some merchants charge consumers an additional percentage based on the purchase value, imposing an extra burden and causing public concern. Accordingly:
¶ 04 1. Is it permissible to charge consumers an additional fee when paying by credit/debit cards or QR codes?
¶ 05 2. If not permissible, what remedies are available to consumers?
¶ 06 3. What are the main impediments to promoting digital and QR-based transactions in Sri Lanka?
¶ 07 4. If percentage-based fees are being charged, has attention been paid to allowing a flat per-transaction fee, borne by the Government by way of reimbursement, to promote such transactions?
¶ 08 5. If so, what is the current progress?
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Friday, 25 July 2025 ·No. 1754382585021621 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 25 July 2025. No. 1754382585021621. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/11200