President pushes single national digital system for Sri Lanka’s public services

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to work towards a single national digital system for public services, instead of separate systems operated independently by different state institutions.

The instruction was given during a progress review meeting on programmes to digitalise local authorities and Divisional Secretariats, held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday afternoon (September 29).

The programmes are being implemented under the Government’s digital transformation initiative aimed at providing faster, more efficient and transparent public services.

The meeting included an extensive discussion on the “National Framework for the Digitalisation of Local Authorities”, which is being developed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

President Dissanayake instructed officials to identify all functions that local authorities are required to provide to citizens and determine which services can and cannot be included in the digital system.

Officials were also asked to examine whether all services that can be digitalised are covered by the systems currently in operation.

The President stressed the need for close coordination between the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Digital Economy in developing a single national system covering the public service.

He also instructed that three officers from the Ministry of Digital Economy be assigned to coordinate the further development of the national system operated under the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

They will also be required to identify shortcomings in existing systems and make the necessary amendments and improvements.

The meeting reviewed digital mechanisms developed to provide services through local authorities, including the payment of rates, miscellaneous revenue such as charges for display boards and bookings of playgrounds and public halls, shop rentals and water bills.

Systems covering permits and licences, as well as platforms designed to provide prompt solutions to public grievances, were also discussed.

Particular attention was paid to ways of further developing systems such as GovPay through the digitalisation programme.

The digitalisation of services at Divisional Secretariats was also reviewed. More than 300 services currently provided by Divisional Secretariats have been identified.

Officials discussed progress in networking services from the Grama Niladhari level through Divisional Secretariats to District Secretariats.

The meeting also focused on the digitalisation programme currently being implemented at Divisional Secretariats in the Polonnaruwa District, including its experiences and results in areas such as paddy purchasing and providing relief during disasters.

President Dissanayake instructed officials to initially implement the Divisional Secretariat Digitalisation Programme as a fully equipped model module in one selected district, incorporating all necessary facilities.

The meeting also discussed the “GovHR” digital system, which is being developed to digitalise the entire process relating to public officers, from their appointment until retirement.

Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Adviser to the President on Digital Economy Hans Wijayasuriya, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Aloka Bandara and Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Sri Dhanapala were among those present.

Ministry secretaries and heads of relevant line agencies also attended the meeting.