Sri Lanka, World Bank discuss digital transformation and public sector modernisation
Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne (left) and World Bank Group Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Amy Doherty (right)
Sri Lanka and the World Bank Group have discussed plans to strengthen the country’s digital public infrastructure, modernise the public sector and expand the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The discussion was held at the Ministry of Digital Economy on September 17, 2026, between Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne and a World Bank Group delegation led by its Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Amy Doherty.
The meeting focused on the development of Sri Lanka’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), modernisation of the public sector, establishment of integrated government communication systems, and measures to strengthen the local information technology sector and innovation ecosystem.
Deputy Minister Weeraratne highlighted the importance of improving the technological capabilities and leadership skills of public sector officials.
He said the proposed “Digital Transformation Units” and the Public Impact Champions Network (PIC-Net) are expected to help government institutions adopt digital technologies in a thoughtful and effective manner.
The two sides also discussed the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies across the public and private sectors.
Attention was also given to strengthening Sri Lanka’s cybersecurity readiness and improving cybersecurity infrastructure through the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) and the National Cyber Security Operations Centre.
Doherty, who has extensive experience in modernising the World Bank Group’s enterprise technology infrastructure, Agile systems approaches and cybersecurity, shared observations from her engagement with young entrepreneurs and private-sector technology entrepreneurs at the TRACE City premises.
Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Executive Officer of GovTech Sri Lanka Shevan Goonetilleke, and representatives of the World Bank Group were also present at the discussion.