Digitalising Sri Lanka

The 21st Century is considered the ‘knowledge-centric’ century. Technology must be integrated with every sector of the economy, to remain competitive globally,  be it agriculture, industry or the service sector. 

The government will invest strategically in new technologies and integrate such innovations with the education system and economy. The government has significant plans for a massive social transformation and creates a Culture of Technological Innovation.

•          Sri Lanka branded as a Global Innovation Hub – The government will maximise the use of the Nanotechnology, 3D Printing, Internet of Things (IoT), Biotechnology, Robotics, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, and through these innovative measures establish Sri Lanka as a Global Innovation Hub.
•          There will be future tenders for implementing new methodologies and adopting new Internet-based technologies. The issuance of Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, copies of deeds, and other public services such as National Identity Cards (NIC), Passports, Driving Licenses, etc., could be optimised via the establishment of 09 Citizen Service Centers - 01 for each province.
•          The government will establish a Digital and Electronic Payment System for citizens to pay traffic fines with ease and without any hassle.
•          The government will introduce a new online Procurement system following which, the removal of bribery and corruption is to follow.
•  ·         There will be RFPs to establishing a countrywide High-Speed Optical Transmission System and high speed 5G Mobile Broadband System to facilitate data transmission.
•          Traffic congestion, disaster situations, water consumption and electricity consumption, will be addressed via the establishment of ‘digital cities’ with digital monitoring and administrative centres.
•          The government will also introduce mobile and digital payment system, including the required physical infrastructure and legal requirements to manage all local and international financial dealings.
•          Persons and business entities will handle all international trade and financial transactions electronically. A Cross border e-Commerce and International e-Payment system will be implemented, along with the required legal provisions.
•          The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and the Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) industry would be developed to make export earnings of USD 3 billion by 2025. To realise this, the government will set up IT centres and BPO centres in our connecting cities.
•          The government of Sri Lanka will take steps to increase the number of software engineers and programmers to reach 300,000 by 2025.
•           The new legislation will be introduced to ensure Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and Intellectual Property Rights.
•          The government will be providing maximum support will be given to local entrepreneurs to develop software for the international market.

OSL Take: The observations of the local industry expert that Sri Lanka’s target of US$ 5 billion IT exports was achievable indicate the developments recorded by the country’s IT sector as well as the growing business opportunities in the field. Interested foreign businesses/investors could look at investing ventures in Sri Lanka’s IT sector and gain profits while assisting the expansion of the local IT market.

VBS/AT/05122019/Z_TB3