Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the development of digital infrastructure, together with human-centred skills development, is essential to achieving Sri Lanka’s national ambition of building a USD 15 billion digital economy.
The Prime Minister made these remarks at the 44th National Information Technology Conference (NITC 2026), held in Colombo on 14 October to coincide with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL).
Addressing the occation, the Prime Minister further stated that, under the Government’s key digitalisation initiatives, the GovPay platform for digital government payments had successfully facilitated transactions exceeding Rs. 2 billion across more than 215 government institutions as of December 2025.
Emphasising the importance of eliminating the digital divide in education, she stated that the foundation of a digital economy must begin in the school classroom. Accordingly, the Government is prioritising not only the provision of technological devices but also teacher training, digital literacy and the development of critical thinking skills.
In order to ensure the uninterrupted communication during emergencies and disasters, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation entered into an agreement to establish an amateur radio network under a grant of USD 181,837 from the United States Government. The Prime Minister also stressed that the integration of artificial intelligence into the public and private sectors must be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and human well-being.
Referring to Japan’s Society 5.0 vision and Singapore’s SkillsFuture programme, the Prime Minister noted that technology should not be regarded merely as a tool. Rather, digital technology must be harnessed to improve the quality of life of all citizens and ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, members of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka and a large number of other invitees.
