Sri Lanka, Jan. 20 -- Private sector employees across Sri Lanka will see a salary increase from 1 January 2026, with the minimum monthly wage rising to Rs. 30,000, according to Labour Department Commissioner General H. M. D. N. K. Wataliyadda.

The increase, introduced under the National Minimum Wage of Employees (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2025, raises the current minimum wage of Rs. 27,000 and also revises the daily minimum wage from Rs. 1,080 to Rs. 1,200. Employers will be legally required to implement the revised rates.

Ms. Wataliyadda stated that all employers, including those hiring workers through intermediaries or contractors, are bound by the provisions of the amended Act. She stressed that, except for budgetary relief allowances...