'Smart Sri Lanka' revamped step forward for fulfilling challenges of Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future: ICTA CEO

The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has decided to conclude the 'e-Sri Lanka' project but revamp and continue the e-Sri Lanka development initiative under the name 'Smart Sri Lanka'.

ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura underlined this when he participated at the Media Dialogue held at Hotel Galadari Colombo Wednesday (18).

Speaking further on the occasion ICTA CEO ensured that as a result of bringing 'e-Sri Lanka' to a close, there wouldn't be any stoppage of projects carried out under the "e-Sri Lanka" initiative half-way through. They would instead be updated and continued according to new technologies and strategies. Dewapura said that ICTA was currently in the process of planning "Smart Government, Smart Jobs, Smart Industries, Smart Information Society, Smart City and Smart leadership and Smart Project Management. ICTA CEO pointed out that today ICT was the country's fifth biggest exchange earner. S Much work spread over the past decade had gone into Sri Lanka reaching this stage.

The ICT literacy was 4 per cent in 2003, now it is 40 per cent. ICTA offered its full co-operation for the rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the North as well, Dewapura added.

ICTA Programme Director / Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando presented to the media personnel participating in the media dialogue all the salient measures ICTA took in the legal angle for implementing e-Sri Lanka. The following sub titles under the main theme "Legal environment for ICT led Development" 'Sri Lankan ICT Sector', 'Introduction', 'History of ICT Law Reform Process', 'Administrative Legal Framework for ICT Development', 'What is ICT law?', 'Some legislation for ICT development in Sri Lanka', 'Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003', 'Patenting software - Sri Lanka', 'Protection of software - under Copyright', 'Software Copyright Protection in Sri Lanka I P Act No. 36 of 2003', 'Is copying of software allowed? Section 12(7) of IP Act', 'Liability for software violations', 'Role of software in the digital economy and licensing', 'Electronic transactions Act No. 19 of 2006', 'Impact of Electronic transactions Act - Recent Developments', 'Electronic Signature Framework' (Providing for secured transactions),' 'Electronic Transactions Act Chapter V - Electronic Evidence', 'Payment Systems Reforms', 'Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2006', 'Mobile transactions and payment regime', 'Mobile payment guidelines', 'Mobile payment regulations', 'Computer Crime' , 'Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007','Data protection approach in Sri Lanka'.

Jayantha Fernando concluded the presentation emphasizing that 'laws relating to ICT continue to change", "Laws will always remain behind technology", "The progress of technology evolution will depend on how fast laws are able to adapt to changes" and that "change is a necessary reality".

Addressing a long session in the morning ICTA Re-engineering Government Programme Director Wasantha Deshapriya took the audience comprising media personnel in all three languages through a journey of e-Government from inception to the present day. The other countries tried to create better public service by retaining the same procedures but easing them by automation instead of manual action. On the other hand ICTA tried first to change the procedure to more people friendly procedures more efficiently. A good beginning is half the victory in a battle. Similarly this good beginning has made Sri Lanka continue to have a winning edge over many countries in the field of e-Governance, Wasantha Deshapriya said concluding his comprehensive presentation entitled 'Where are we in the Re-Gov roadmap?'

Other presentations included 'eServices-Myth and Reality' by ,ICTA Programme Head - eServices Kanchana Thudugala, 'Impact of eSociety' by ICTA Content Manager e- Society Shriyananda Rathnayake, ' How ICTA helped our Private sector' by ICTA Project Development Executive Sachindra Samararathna, 'Has Nenasala bridged the digital divide?'by ICTA Project Manager - Information Infrastructure. Gavaskar Subramanium, and Mastering Social Media and Sri Lanka's news culture by Mr. Deepthi Kumara Gunaratna.

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