Parliamentarian Harsha de Silva has said that the biggest block in unlocking the Sri Lanka digital stack is “the government”.
He had tweeted this after addressing the Digital Public Infrastructure yesterday (March 26) in Colombo.
The conference was organised by the Indian High Commission in Colombo, in partnership with the Ministry of Technology in Sri Lanka.
“The biggest block in unlocking #SriLanka digital stack is the government. Talking about a #DigitalSriLanka is useless unless we get moving with the UniqueID and establishing 3 pillar Digital Public Infrastructure. Lot to learn from @pramodkvarma presentation+ on the Indian story,” he tweeted.
Addressing the DPI conference, MP de Silva also said, “We heard the President saying that we need to create a digital Sri Lanka. Stop talking about 300 projects… focus on one project. Focus on getting the unique ID done. That is what is going to unlock the Digital Stack. Try to understand this. I’m embarrassed to sit here and listen to stuff that is being spoken about without speaking to the point. But now why is it stuck? Is it corruption, or is it somebody else who wants power? Why is it not moving? why?”
Noting that Sri Lanka is ’embarrassingly behind India’ and that Sri Lanka needs to ‘catch up’, the MP said, “here is a hand extended to us. Let us take it. Let us not wait one more day to do this.”
Meanwhile, making the keynote address at the DPI conference, President Ranil Wickremesinghe characterized Sri Lanka’s economy as a “patchwork economy,” describing it as a collection of disparate elements stitched together. He emphasized the need to transition towards a more cohesive digital economy.
The President also outlined plans to establish a Digital Transformation Agency & AI centre with a budget of LKR 1 billion & announced intentions to present legislation to Parliament by mid-year for these initiatives, prioritizing the transition towards digitalization.
A gazette extraordinary has been issued containing the names of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons, and Vice-Chairpersons of several local government institutions.
The names have been gazetted based on recommendations sent to the National Election by political parties and independents groups that secured a majority in local government bodies at the recently concluded Local Government (LG) election.
Accordingly, the Election Commission has taken steps to publish the names from among the political parties and independent groups that secured a majority at the Local Government election held recently.
The names of the elected and nominated members for the respective local authorities, following the Local Government election were also published in the government gazette based on the respective administrative districts.
As per the gazette notification issued by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government on February 17, 2025, the term of office of local government bodies is scheduled to commence on June 2, 2025
Prevailing showery condition in the southwestern part of the island is expected to reduced gradually from today (01st)
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.
Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando, sentenced this week to jail for 20 and 25 years, respectively, have been assigned duties in the printing section at the Welikada prison, sources said.
Both of them are being held together away from the main section of the prison’s ‘chapel’ section, where prisoners serving life sentences and those convicted of murder and rape are held. The prison’s printing section prints its own documentation.
Prison sources said that in placing them in relevant wards to serve their jail term, the authorities had taken into consideration the security of the two convicts, as they might have had political enemies.
Mr Aluthgamage was handed a 20-year term of rigorous imprisonment, while Mr Fernando was given a 25-year term of rigorous imprisonment by a High Court trial-at-bar after being found guilty of causing a Rs 53 million loss to the state.
They were accused of importing carrom boards and checkers boards through Sathosa during the 2015 presidential elections and distributing them to clubs.
Their lawyers said yesterday they were awaiting the certified copy of the judgement to prepare the appeal papers. The appeal will be considered by the Supreme Court.
(sundaytimes.lk) (This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)