IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

The Immigration and Emigration Department has strengthened its network by introducing several state-of-the-art technologies. The modifications made to the current system at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to improve the border control procedures were made possible as part of a Border Management Project implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Sri Lanka strengthens border management system Under this project full page passport readers have been installed at the BIA. These readers can capture the full data-page image of the passport during passenger inspection at the time of entry and departure. The readers will provide an electronic confirmation as to authenticity of the passport, identify possible tampering and forgeries to the passport.

Read more: Sri Lanka strengthens border management system

Department Heads and senior staff in Sri Lanka are being familiarised with the country’s new e-Government Policy to help improve public services.

Secretary of the Public Management Reforms Ministry, P.B. Abeykoon, said a series of 10 workshops on the new policy were being held across the country.

Mr Abeykoon said knowledge of ICT among top Public Servants would “greatly help” improve public services.

Read more: Sri Lanka: Training eases way for e-Government

The e-government policy to be implemented through the Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, Chief Innovative Officers is for the convenience of the public, a top official said this week. “A properly-maintained database makes people’s life simple and comfortable,” said Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga addressing the National Conference on ICT policy for the government, held at the Ceylon Continental Hotel last Saturday.

The Secretary said that the foreign countries including ICT giant India had a lot of praise for Sri Lanka’s ICT achievements, the world awards won and Sri Lanka’s flagship project namely the Government Information Centre (1919).

It was stated that several countries were keen in emulating some of Sri Lanka’s projects and adopting them to suit their countries. These included the Government Information Centre and the Lanka Government Network which links all government institutions.

Read more: Sri Lanka: E-government policy reduces public inconvenience

Knowledge of ICT among Government institutional heads greatly helps better public service, said Secretary to Public Management Reforms Ministry Secretary P. B. Abeykoon. The Secretary said so during his keynote address at a workshop in Hambantota last week on the e-Government Policy presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and approved by the cabinet last December.

The one-day workshop organised by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) at the Peacock Beach Hotel in Hambantota was the third in the series of 10 National Workshop on e-Government Policy aimed at familiarising Government institutional heads and chief innovative officers with the e-Government Policy.

Read more: Sri Lanka: e-Government Policy promotes ICT knowledge in public service