Lanka Government Network (LGN) 2.0 has been proposed by ICTA to be implemented from 2016-2018.
It aims to provide high speed internet connection by leveraging on the National Backbone Network to government organizations to enable the Digital government plan. The three year project is estimated to cost Rs 12,737million. The cabinet of ministers gave approval for this proposal said CO-Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka.
Read more: LK: LGN 2.0 to connect government organizations with businesses, citizens
Harin Fernando, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure rang an alarm bell on Monday for Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) slamming its complacency and sluggishness in getting things done, and went on to warn that a rival semi-government telecom company would be formed if the worst came to worst.
"SLT is excessively unionized and getting things done productively is very difficult. 48% of SLT's operational expenses constitute employees' salaries. For Dialog, this figure is only 7%. Aware of this situation, I haven't given a single job for anyone in the SLT. SLT employees apparently feel too complacent with the monopoly they enjoy. Although SLT comes under my purview, I have told them that they have to fall in line or otherwise a new semi-government ICT company will have to be established", the minister said.
My column last month on how Google Loons and a Cloud Based Health Record System can transform healthcare in Sri Lanka attracted much attention.
I received emails from across the world, all positive. It was even posted on a LinkedIn group ‘Healthcare Board’ with the caption “Is Sri Lanka ready for Digital Health?” My answer to that is, “Yes we are, but we need the political commitment to make it happen, it is too important to leave it in the hands of a few enthusiastic health administrators who struggle to obtain the necessary support.”
President Maithripala Sirisena has declared November 16-22 as 'National Information and Communication Technology Week'. This is the first time that such a week dedicated to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has ever been declared at national level.
It is in recognition of the significant role the ICT industry plays in all spheres of life, and also in honour of the ICT-related national and international conferences due to be convened in Sri Lanka that the President declared a week devoted to this sector.
Read more: Sri Lanka declares National ICT Week from Nov.16-22
The ICT Agency (ICTA) led efforts to get Sri Lanka ratify the UN Electronic Communications Convention bore fruit, when Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Dr Rohan Perera deposited the Instrument of Ratification in New York recently. This is sequel to approval from the Cabinet of Ministers obtained in June. The Cabinet approval authorized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deposit the Instrument of Ratification at the UN Treaty Office so as to ensure Sri Lanka’s entry into this only UN Convention on the subject of international e-Commerce and on the use of cross-border e-Contracts.
With its ratification Sri Lanka becomes the first country in South Asia and 2nd country after Singapore to become a State Party to the Convention. Countries like Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and China are already preparing domestic legislation to ratify this Convention. However, Sri Lanka’s ratification of this important UN Convention was possible because the country already has the required domestic legislation, namely the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006, which is based on this UN Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Sri Lanka on 1st February 2016.