President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says digital transformation is essential to establishing better governance, improving the efficiency of public services and modernising the country's state institutions.

Delivering the 2027 Budget speech in Parliament, the President said the Government had identified digitalisation as a key priority in its efforts to transform public administration and introduce a more efficient system of governance.

He said the process of digital transformation was already underway, with plans to introduce necessary legislation and amendments to support the transition.

President Dissanayake said state institutions would be required to adopt digital systems through GovTech Sri Lanka as part of efforts to modernise public services and improve institutional efficiency.

He also emphasised the importance of strengthening data protection in the digitalisation process, noting that appropriate legal safeguards were necessary to ensure the security and responsible management of public data.

The President said the Government expected to introduce new legislation relating to data protection and digital governance at the beginning of 2027.

Meanwhile, he revealed that the proposed Cyber Security Bill had been forwarded to the Attorney General for consideration and approval.

The President said these measures were part of the Government's broader digital transformation agenda, aimed at building a modern, efficient and technology-driven public sector while strengthening governance and public service delivery.