INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Focused on speeding up Sri Lankas digital transformation, three key digital initiatives were officially launched today (07) at the
Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.These efforts consist of the facility of the GovPay
federal government digital payment platform, the growth of the Presidents Fund services to the Divisional Secretariat level, and the intro
of the eBMD system for acquiring birth, marital relationship, and death certificates through embassies.The task is being jointly executed by
the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), and LankaPay, with the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka ensuring the security of the payment platform and fostering public trust in its operations, according to the Presidents Media Division
Through the GovPay platform, payments for all services associated with 16 federal government organizations can be processed in the initial
Beginning with April, an additional 30 federal government organizations are prepared to be incorporated into the platform
Moving forward, there is an aspiration to unify all government institutions under this system
Presently, 12 state and private banks have already signed up with the platform.Speaking at the occasion, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
stressed that technological advancements play an essential function in enhancing individuals lives by delivering effective, high-quality,
He noted that throughout history, technological progress has been a driving force behind social development, continuously raising human
civilization, the declaration stated.The President also highlighted that the Presidents Fund has actually generally been managed from
Colombo, which has posed considerable challenges for residents in remote towns
To resolve this, the Funds operations will now be decentralized to the Divisional Secretariat level, ensuring higher availability and
convenience.He further worried that such transformative choices must have been made long ago, as hold-ups in policy execution have actually
hampered economic progress and public well-being
With digitalization, urban and rural communities are now more interconnected than ever, making innovation an important tool in dealing with
rural poverty and dealing with grassroots challenges.President Dissanayake reaffirmed that digitalization is the key motorist that can
propel Sri Lanka to a brand-new stage of advancement, enabling people to fulfill their needs effortlessly, totally free from obstacles,
inadequacies, and administrative hold-ups, the PMD stated.President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted that due to the mechanized nature
of contemporary life, the Sri Lankan people have slowly lost their connection to cultural living.However, he pointed out that digitalization
might assist in the revival of cultural life, making it necessary to guarantee the success of this effort
He further stated that the introduction of the Digital National Identity Card (Digital ID) marks an essential turning point in this
transformation.The President worried the urgency of carrying out these modifications quickly, highlighting that openness, performance, and
bridging the urban-rural divide are important to Sri Lankas digital transformation
He ensured that the government is making considerable efforts to raise the country to a new level through digitalization.Senior Advisor to
the President on Digitalization and Chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Dr
Hans Wijayasuriya, stated that Sri Lanka already has 75% of the essential abilities to develop a strong digital economy.However, to totally
unlock this capacity, the remaining gaps should be addressed, with a goal of finishing this procedure within the next 3 years, he said.As
part of this effort, the Presidents Fund was formally decentralized to the Divisional Secretariat level, making it possible for online
application submissions for monetary support, the declaration added.To more drive digital improvement, a system was introduced enabling Sri
Lankans living abroad to obtain licensed copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates through their particular embassies
As an initial implementation, a Sri Lankan citizen in South Korea effectively got a birth certificate through the online system.This
initiative marks a substantial step forward, as enabling migrant Sri Lankans to access authorities documents through their embassies will
significantly streamline bureaucratic procedures and improve their quality of life.The occasion was attended by Minister of Public
Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne,
Secretary to the President Dr
Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, and Governor of the Central Bank Dr
Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary of the Presidents Fund and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, together with several
other dignitaries.-- PMD--
