Sri Lanka to launch initial step in the digitalisation of government services, ‘GovPay’
The Morning: The initial step in the digitalisation of government services, ‘GovPay’, will be officially launched under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday (7).
This platform is expected to streamline and modernise transactions conducted through government institutions, enabling seamless and secure transactions through an efficient digital system, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has been leading the digitalisation efforts, implementing a range of programmes designed to enhance e-governance and promote digital literacy. ICTA’s efforts include the Sri Lanka National Digital Identity Programme, which is focused on creating a digital ID system that can be used for secure online transactions and accessing public services.
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) system serves as a key example of how robust digital platforms can enable efficient public service delivery.
India’s system, which includes Aadhaar (a biometric digital identity), UPI (Unified Payments Interface), and IndiaStack (a suite of open APIs for digital services), has revolutionised how Indian citizens access government services, from welfare benefits to financial transactions.
By integrating GovPay into the broader digital infrastructure, Sri Lanka seeks to replicate some of the successes of India’s system, offering seamless payment solutions, reducing transaction costs, and increasing trust in government services.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s overall economic expansion along with the country’s target of achieving regional hub status have resulted in expansions in the ICT and digital development sectors. The increasing economic activities in the country resulting in the overall growth in key economic sectors have opened up a host of new business/investment opportunities in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors due since Sri Lanka would have to be on par with the fast-evolving developments in the global ICT and digital industries. The business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors include the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities required to meet the increasing demand in Sri Lanka and related fields that include the providing of technical expertise and technologies needed to be in line with global demands. Also, the growth, profits and expansion recorded by local businesses in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors are indicative of the increasing business potential in these sectors. The Sri Lankan government’s commitment to promote digitalization in the country while developing the country into becoming an e-economy all indicate that the foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the increasing business/investment opportunities in the local ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors. Foreign businesses could also look at expanding operations through local collaborations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250206/Z_1 |