Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s leading mobile operator launched mobile money payment system yesterday with the consent of central bank, Sri Lanka.
Back in 2009 LIRNEasia‘s Senior Policy Fellow Muhammad Aslam Hayat wrote about the possibility of having mobile money in Sri Lanka and LIRNEasia facilitated it.
Dialog is the first operator to be licensed by Sri Lanka’s central bank to make mobile payments.
“The dawn of the mobile money era in Sri Lanka has been made possible by the progressive, and financial inclusion focused, regulatory ethos of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka,” Wijayasuriya said.
“In this respect Sri Lanka’s payments and settlement legislation and Mobile Payment regulations stand among the most progressive in the world.”
Earlier Dialog started service for people who had credit cards or bank accounts which had around 25,000 users, but the new service is completely stand alone, under new central bank regulations and does not need a bank account.
Customers could load cash from 10,000 outlets around Sri Lanka to their ‘eZ Cash’ branded mobile account or transfer money from an internet banking account.
They could also withdraw up to 10,000 rupees a day from the outlets with the cashier being a human teller, Wijayasuriya said. The same network of dealers that are now doing mobile top ups for prepaid phone customers would offer the mobile wallet service.
All registered Dialog customers could open a 10,000 rupee wallet through the phone with no additional documentation and no registration fee. An account with a 25,000 rupee balance would need additional verification.
4 Comments
onesided
it is pathetic that centrak bank said NO to other telecom operators…if their objective is financial inclusiveness then this licence should be available to all the telecom opertaors…
Rohan Samarajiva
I am not aware that the Central Bank denied any other applications. If such information is available, please post it here.
We agree that this facility should be available to all operators.
onesided
Hi Rohan,
The custodian Account System as per the Mobile Payments Guidelines No. 2 of 2011 will be available to the Licensed Service Provider” which mean a mobile payment service provider licensed under the Service Providers of Payment Cards Regulations No.1 of 2009;
There are four categories of entities who can opt for this license according to the section 5 (a) of the same.
(i) any licensed commercial bank;
(ii) any licensed specialized bank;
(iii) any registered finance company;
(iv) any public company having an unimpaired capital of at least rupees seventy five (75) million.
(http://www.cbsl.gov.lk/pics_n_docs/09_lr/_docs/directions/psd/10_Regulation_2009e.pdf)
Therefore, the only telco who would qualify for this is Dialog.
Mel G
Few years back, Dialog launched a similar service with NDB Bank http://www.ndbbank.com/prsnl_serv/ez_pay.jsp
and
http://lirneasia.net/2007/08/dialog-and-ndb-to-launch-ez-pay-mcommerce-solution-an-alternative-to-visamaster-cards/
Request For Proposals: Sri Lanka Educational Technology Survey
LIRNEasia is inviting proposals from qualified research organisations to develop a study on Sri Lanka’s Educational Technology (EdTech) landscape. The study aims to examine the current state of EdTech adoption, innovations, and the enabling and constraining factors across Sri Lanka’s education system, while assessing how educational decision-makers perceive and use EdTech and data systems.
Protecting Children Online: What is Missing from Sri Lanka’s Proposed Bill?
In an article published in the Daily FT on 30 June 2026, Attorney-at-Law and LIRNEasia Researcher Sachini Ranasinghe examines the Private Member’s Bill proposed by Opposition MP Faiszer Musthapha, which seeks to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16 in Sri Lanka. She argues that the key question is not whether children need stronger protection online, but whether Sri Lanka is proposing the right solution and has undertaken the groundwork necessary to make such legislation effective.
LIRNEasia leads new Asia Observatory on Responsible AI Innovations for Development
In February 2026, the Asia AI4D Observatory: A policy and innovation network on responsible artificial intelligence was launched with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. LIRNEasia, East-West Management Institute, JustJobs Network, and EngageMedia, this three-year initiative will support Asia’s capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible (i.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
9A 1/1, Balcombe Place
Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2026 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific