Digital inclusion vital to bridge digital divide between rich and poor - President

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing the 2023 National Information Technology Conference (NITC-2023), has underscored the importance of improving digital infrastructure, availability of capital in the financial sector and addressing the digital divide.

The NITC-2023, co-organized by the Ministry of Technology and the Computer Society of Sri Lanka, commenced on Thursday (Oct. 11) at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

Addressing the event further, President Wickremesinghe said the private sector should take over the basic digital infrastructure, given the present economic crisis and limited government resources, adding that the government should step in where it is not feasible for the private sector to do so.

With regard to the need for availability of capital in the financial sector, President Wickremesinghe said this is the reason the government is going ahead with the restructuring of banks to ensure there is an adequate capital supply. He added that Sri Lanka requires a diverse financial sector different from what it has today.

The president also highlighted the importance of digital inclusion to bridge the digital divide between the rich and the poor.

NITC-2023, under the leadership of the Head of State, will span two days with the central theme “Towards a Sustainable Digital Society – 2030 Digital Economy.” It brings together both local and international IT scholars and experts.

In alignment with the goal of transforming Sri Lanka into a fully digital economy by 2030, a comprehensive “Digital Roadmap and Policy Framework for Sri Lanka” was developed by experts and scholars from six sectors within the IT field. The presentation of this roadmap to the President was conducted by State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera presented the “Enhanced Digital Agriculture Transformation” report, a collaborative effort of agricultural and technology experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Technology, aimed at modernizing Sri Lanka’s agriculture.

Additionally, President Ranil Wickremesinghe recognized and awarded innovative achievements in the field of information technology at various educational levels, including schools, universities, post-graduate institutions, businesses and professorial contributions.

Speaking at the event, President Ranil Wickremesinghe further said:

“I didn’t anticipate having to make a speech here. I had already spoken my share when I attended the SLASSCOM exhibition in the morning. We’ve covered the entire spectrum of human development. Secondly, that’s how we plan to tackle the issue of human capital formation that we require. Now, you have presented two reports that we will certainly read and discuss with you before proceeding. One of the other issues that has been concerning me is the digital infrastructure. How do we provide the necessary digital infrastructure? Given the present economic crisis and limited government resources, my thinking and the government’s thinking, is that the private sector should take over the basic digital infrastructure. The government should step in where it is not feasible for the private sector to do so. Therefore, our digital infrastructure policy will be based on this approach.

This means that the emphasis will have to be on cities and the western province, especially in most parts of Gampaha, Colombo and Kalutara districts. Then, we will extend to areas with population centers and towns where access is needed. The second phase will be to expand further. By that time, the providers will be in a better position for longer investments and the government will also have sufficient resources to proceed with the investment. So, no matter what, we have to provide the digital infrastructure and we will have to rely on private investments for the first part. This will enable about 40 to 50% of the population to have that infrastructure. It won’t take us long to reach about 60%. However, from there onwards, we will have to gradually work on it. So, these are the key issues we are considering.

Another important aspect is the availability of capital in the financial sector. This is why we are going ahead with the restructuring of banks to ensure there is an adequate capital supply. This money should be available and channelled into this sector. We require a diverse financial sector different from what we have today.

The other crucial aspect is digital inclusion. Digital inclusion is necessary to bridge the digital divide between the rich and the poor. How do we achieve that? These are the three main issues that we have to address immediately. There are other issues like the legal system and cyber security. Some can be addressed by the government, while others can be handled by the private sector.

However, these three are the most critical areas: digital infrastructure, capital financing and addressing the digital divide. These are the initial areas the government will focus on in your digital initiative. I don’t want to speak at length. I think I have been speaking too long on this subject and I am not a specialist. So I thank you for inviting me and wish you all the best in your deliberations.”