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ICTA and World Bank launch Digital Development Mission

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ICTA and World Bank launch Digital Development Mission

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka announced that the World Bank Group and ICTA will kick-off a joint technical study.on Digital Development 
 The findings of this joint technical and advisory study are expected to assist Sri Lanka’s government in prioritizing the potential areas of digital transformation that need World Bank support, including financing and technical advisory assistance. 

The study will be carried out under the thematic areas of  Digital  Governance, Digital Government/Services, Digital Economy, and Digital Connectivity. 

The World Bank will adopt a whole of government approach, focusing on the digital transformation requirements of the entire government and provide technical and financial support to implement the cabinet approved digital transformation strategy effectively. Especially in digital government, digital economy, legal framework and policy, institutional governance, accountability, and monitoring & evaluation framework.A joint project committee including representatives from the World Bank, Ministry of Technology, and ICTA will be appointed to undertake the study. Technical discussions and reviews will be held with members of the World Bank mission, ICTA, and respective government stakeholders. I

In addition, representatives from the  World Bank mission will engage with ICTA and all relevant stakeholders to understand the current challenges in the technology transformation process and recommend steps to formulate interventions.

The outcomes of this initiative are expected under three main tracks. The first track, Strengthening Digital Governance, focuses on assessing the current processes to drive Digital Transformation across the public sector, change management, capability development, monitoring and evaluation, and institutional capacity building.

The second track, Accelerate Delivery of Digital Govt. and Services, focuses on prioritizing initiatives to develop a roadmap, including capacity development needs of ICTA and relevant agencies.

The final track, Resilient and Competitive Digital Economy, will focus on the need for businesses to adopt digital tools,  services and digital skills development.Director, Monitoring and Evaluation ICTA, stated, “we are excited that the World Bank Group has teamed up with ICTA to do this critical study, and for the support extended to ICTA to implement and achieve the intended outcomes of the national digital transformation strategy. 

We are confident that the outcome of this initiative would help us expedite the national digital transformation process and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government service delivery. In addition, it intendeds creating jobs and enhance the revenue from the IT-BPM industry and improve the wellbeing of the citizens across all the regions of the country.”

The World Bank mission team will be led by Ms. Serene Ho Fung Ying – Senior Digital Development Specialist,  and consist of Siddhartha Raja – Senior Digital Development Specialist, Jonathan Marskell – Senior Program Officer, and Aneesa Mendis – Consultant, Agenda Singh – Senior Digital Development Specialist, Sebastian Foo – Senior Consultant, Ami Dalal -Senior Investment Officer  IFC, Gohar Malumyan – Consultant, and Roshani George – Team Assistant.

Discussions will be held with representatives from the Ministry of Technology, Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), and other agencies/industry organizations.

Sarath Weerasekera who was receiving treatment for COVID 19 transferred to IDH

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Sarath Weerasekera who was receiving treatment for COVID 19 transferred to IDH

It is reported that the Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera who was receiving treatment at the Narahenpita Police Hospital for covid infection has been transferred to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH), Angoda.

Ananda Wijewickrama, a specialist at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, has told the media that the minister’s condition is stable.

There is another issue that affects the survival of industries other than the two-hour power cuts – Wimal

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There is another issue that affects the survival of industries other than the two-hour power cuts – Wimal

Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of Industry says that the main crisis facing the country’s industry is the difficulty in obtaining imported raw materials rather than a two-hour power cut.

“There is a crisis in issuing letters of credit and opening the LCs. As such, many industrialists are facing great difficulties. During the discussion I made a proposal in the Cabinet, There are not many countries that import this raw material, there are several, we can negotiate with those one or two countries and get a special credit line for the raw material is the best solution at the moment. The issue of obtaining these imported raw materials is the main challenge that has arisen today regarding the survival of the industry rather than the two-hour power cut. ”

Minister Wimal Weerawansa stated this while expressing his views to the media yesterday (21).

India – Sri Lanka Joint Committee Meeting on Science &Technology

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India – Sri Lanka Joint Committee Meeting on Science &Technology

India and Sri Lanka extended the existing S&T cooperation for 3 more years, with focus on new areas like waste-water technologies, biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence, as well as industrial collaborations at the India-Sri Lanka 5th Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation held on January 20, 2022.

  1. “India and Sri Lanka have a great legacy of intellectual, cultural, and religious interaction and relationship of more than 2500 years old. Trade and investment and cooperation in education and other sectors have gone up in recent times, and in this line, cooperation in S&T becomes very critical,” said Mr. S. K. Varshney, Advisor, and Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, India, who led the delegation from the country and was the Indian co-chair.
  2. “This platform will provide an opportunity for discussing various other facets which are possible for collaboration in the domain of S&T. There are lot of opportunities available for bilateral cooperation. India offers fellowships like India S&T fellowship, e-ITEC and both the countries can work through a number of multilateral platforms like BIMSTEC, which they are part of,” he added.
  3. Mrs. Deepa Liyange, Secretary, State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovations, Sri Lanka, the co-chair from Sri Lanka, reiterated the well-established bilateral relationship between both the countries and welcomed India’s cooperation in S&T sectors and research areas for boosting scientific knowledge in the country.
  4. Mr. Vinod K. Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner from India in Sri Lanka, highlighted that as part of India’s “Neighborhood First” policy which guides the country’s cooperation with Sri Lanka, this meeting would help build on existing collaborative work and help these reach greater heights. He further mentioned that under the e-ITEC program, since April 2020, 550 Sri-Lankan nationals have benefitted from training in various Indian institutions in areas like biotech, medical research, renewable energy, and so on.
  5. “S&T is a key enabler of socio-economic and sustainable development. The tools in science will enable the world in achieving the 2030 agenda of sustainable development, and it is high time we create conducive environment for S&T and innovation. A strong bilateral cooperation is extremely important for a country’s progress, and Sri Lanka looks forward to a fruitful joint cooperation programme,” Mr. Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Deputy High Commissioner from Sri Lanka in India, pointed out.
  6. The delegates exchanged information on the ongoing S&T activities in the two countries. The Indian side presented the overall STI Policy and priority areas by showcasing the core mandates of DST, multi-stakeholder base of DST, India’s recent progress in S&T, as well as focus on securing India’s future in technology through missions like NM-ICPS, NM-QTA, Methanol mission, new initiatives like VAJRA, TARE, Vigyan Jyoti, Accelerate Vigyan. India’s international S&T engagements were also elaborated upon. The Sri-Lankan side also highlighted the scope and status of S&T in their country and its application in various areas of national importance. Organizations like National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India and Industrial Technology Institute, Sri Lanka detailed on activities performed by the respective Scientific Agencies and areas of potential collaboration between both the countries.
  7. The delegates reviewed the ongoing collaborative activities in the 9 areas spanning food technology; plant base medicines; meteorology; space research & applications, robotics & automation; industrial electronics, renewable energy; waste management; information and communication technology and discussed about the future activities.
  8. The board mutually agreed to extend the Programme of Cooperation (POC) for another 3 years between both countries and identified new areas such as like waste-water technologies, industry and biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence to be included in the POC. The need to invite new joint proposals in S&T areas was underlined, and the group recommended conducting more webinars in the wake of the current pandemic situation for enhancing collaborative research and making collaborations stronger.

(Contents of this Press Release have been drawn from the Press Release issued by Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi on 20 January 2022.)

I became the Litro chairman for an hour and solved the country’s gas problem completely – Renuka (VIDEO)

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I became the Litro chairman for an hour and solved the country’s gas problem completely – Renuka (VIDEO)

Renuka Perera, the new Chairman of Milco, the Managing Secretary of the SLPP, says that he was able to solve the gas problem in the country within an hour of assuming the post of Chairman of Litro.

Q. Now you have been in several government agencies. How long can you stay here?

“Let’s do the right thing as long as we can. You are asking about the appointment of Litro, right? As I recall, His Excellency the President had inquired on the 3rd of January at a time when there was a major crisis over gas in the country, and. He asked if it is not possible to take over this institution. While that was going on, the President had planned to oversee the Litro Company. However, after he supervised, he spoke to me in a very friendly manner and told me that this company only has to fill the cylinders with gas coming from the ship and send it to the market. He said, I can do more than that, so he suggested Milco would be a good fit. The plan is to increase milk production in our country. That is how this change took place. But I am happy that the media reports that I am the ‘chairman of an hour’ – but with my appointment, during that hour the gas problem in the country has completely disappeared ”

Renuka Perera was speaking to the media after assuming duties as the Chairman of Milco yesterday (21).

Pohottu Ministers and MPS request the president to offer Vice-Chancellor posts to their friends!

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Pohottu Ministers and MPS request the president to offer Vice-Chancellor posts to their friends!

It is reported that several parliamentarians of the SLPP and several state ministers have sent letters to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa requesting that the post of Vice-Chancellor of the Wayamba University be given to ‘a friend’ of them.

Following is the letter sent to the President by Minister of State for Livestock D.B. Herath requesting that Prof. H.M.A. Herath be given the post as he is well known.

At first glance, the letter appears to have included the professor’s name and the post of Vice-Chancellor in the same general letter template as the traditional letters that MPs give to their voters to get minor jobs in the SLTB, Railway Department.

In addition, MPs Samanpriya Herath, D.Y.G. Ratnasekera, Nalaka Kottegoda and Minister of State Sanath Nishantha Perera, as well as the convener of the Sri Lanka People’s Doctors’ Association have written to the President in this regard. This was stated by the Member of Parliament for the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna – Vijitha Herath in Parliament.

Do not forget that there was a dark age in our country when art was banned – Mahinda (VIDEO)

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Do not forget that there was a dark age in our country when art was banned – Mahinda (VIDEO)

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that it should not be forgotten that there was a dark era in this country where art was banned by restricting the views of artists.

“Artists make great efforts to bring the social reality to the masses creatively. We know that in the past, these people faced many difficulties due to the Covid epidemic. We know that several artists in our country lost their lives due to the Covid. We even lost the opportunity to pay our last respects to certain artists as we had to submit to various restrictions. We should remember them with respect.

Every artist is an asset to the country. Their ideology is seen in the whole society. Therefore, artists should have the right to enjoy democratic freedom in the country. Do not forget that our country had a dark past when this right was taken away from artists. Although such a situation does not exist today, we cannot forget it completely and move on to the future.”

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said this addressing a function held at Temple Trees yesterday (21) to present insurance policies to artists.

We have to cut off electricity for an hour and a half a day. Everyone must make sacrifices – Gammanpila (VIDEO)

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We have to cut off electricity for an hour and a half a day. Everyone must make sacrifices – Gammanpila (VIDEO)

Udaya Gammanpila, Minister of Energy has stated that a power cut of one and a half hours per day should be started immediately until the next rainy season.

“Until the rains start in April, we will have to generate electricity from fuel. As we now try to provide electricity 24 hours a day, I understand that if we do not take a big dollar loan from somewhere by the end of March – if we take a loan, we will have to pay it back with interest – we will have to go for a 4 hour power cut by the end of March. Wouldn’t it be better if we went for an hour and a half right now until the next rain came?”

Minister Udaya Gammanpila stated this addressing a function held in Hanwella yesterday (21).

South Korea opens more employment avenues for Sri Lankans

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South Korea opens more employment avenues for Sri Lankans

The South Korean Government will support to promote employment generation, vocational training and investment opportunities, said Park Byeong-Seug, Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea. 

He made these remarks when he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (20).Park Byeong-Seug is the Speaker of the 21st National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. 

There is ample scope for investment opportunities in Sri Lanka due to its strategic location in the region, the President said and requested Park Geung-seog to encourage leading Korean companies to explore investment opportunities. 

Nearly 22,000 Sri Lankans are employed in South Korea and they are happily contributing to the workforce and they have remitted  around US$ 520 million to Sri Lanka from Korea. 

The Korean government and the Korean Embassy highly value the significant role of Sri Lankan migrant workers and their precious contribution. The migrant workers bridge both countries in many ways, as they continue to contribute to the economic development of Korea and Sri Lanka. 

Geung-seog told the President that steps would be taken to fulfill the request made to increase the quota provided for employment for Sri Lankans in South Korea. 

The South Korean Speaker also agreed to provide assistance to enhance vocational training opportunities in Sri Lanka and further stated that he would be willing to provide assistance to meet the present needs of the country. 

The Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Woonjin Jeong assured the Foreign Minister that the facilities required for the Sri Lankan youth who are eligible for employment in Korea to travel to Korea will be provided shortly. 

He was speaking at a discussion on the delays faced by young people who are eligible for jobs in Korea, chaired by the Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Foreign Ministry recently

 The Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka explained the position of the Korean Government and stated that it has been planned to provide employment opportunities in Korea to all those who are eligible for employment in Korea. 

He said there is a delay in providing those opportunities due to the COVID pandemic; however assured that he is focused on sending them to Korea at the earliest available opportunity.  

He also stated that the Korean government is planning to assist in the development of the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka.The discussions also focused on several matters including increase of employment opportunities for Sri Lankan youth in Korea and enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

Special GST sparks wide spread protests over tax collection unit

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Special GST sparks wide spread protests over tax collection unit

Sri Lanka government is set to introduce the Special Goods and Services Tax (SGST) setting up a separate tax revenue collection unit at the treasury forcing trade unions of the Departments of Inland Revenue and Excise to stage protest campaigns. 

Trade union leaders said that this move will affect the whole tax revenue collection system creating confusion among tax payers encouraging them to default. 

The new bill titled ‘Special Goods and Services Tax’ was published by gazette dated 07 January 2022.  The Special Goods and Services Tax (SGST) was originally proposed in Budget speech 2021 but was not implemented. 

It has once again been presented in Budget 2022.  The SGST aims to consolidate taxes on manufacturing and importing cigarettes, liquor, vehicles and assembly parts, while also consolidating taxes on telecommunication and betting and gaming. 

The rationale for this new tax as per the bill is .to promote self-compliance in the payment of taxes in order to ensure greater efficiency in relation to the collection and administration on such taxes, officials said. 

Another aim is to avoid the complexities associated with the application and administration of a multiple tax regime on specified goods and services, Finance Ministry sources said. The SGST Bill is silent on the treatment of the existing VAT on these goods and services. 

However, according to the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill also gazetted on 07 January 2022, liquor, cigarettes and motor vehicles will be exempted from VAT while telecommunications and betting and gaming services will still be subject to VAT. 

While the gazetted Bill sets out some of the features of the proposed SGST there are many important areas not covered in the Bill.  These are expected to be gazetted as and when required by the Minister in charge. 

Tax revenue which was 13% of GDP in 2010, declined to 8% in 2020.  Ad hoc policy changes and weak administration contributed to the decline in tax revenue collection. 

According to the budget speech the SGST is estimated to bring in an additional Rs. 50 billion in revenue in 2022.  Revenue from taxes proposed to be consolidated under the SGST has significantly declined over the past 3 years. 

Given the already difficult macroeconomic environment, along with ad hoc tax policy changes raising the additional revenue estimated at Rs. 50 billion seems a difficult task.

According to the bill, SGST  will now be collected through a new unit set up under the General Treasury where a Designated Officer (DO) will be in charge of the administration, collection and accountability of the tax. 

The existing revenue collection agencies, such as the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) or the Excise Department will not be primarily responsible for the collection of this tax. 

By removing the  IRD and Excise Department, a parallel bureaucracy will be created, at a time when public spending needs to be carefully managed. 

The General Treasury also has no previous experience and expertise in direct revenue collection. Weak administration is one of the key reasons for the low tax collection and success of this tax would depend on the strength of its administration. 

In addition to the above mentioned concerns, as per the Bill the minister in charge of the SGST has been vested with the power to set the rates, the base and grant exemptions. Accordingly, Parliamentary oversight over fiscal matters is weakened under this proposed Bill.

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