Friday October 2, 2020 12:05
ECONOMYNEXT- Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment, the Colombo Port City Project and several other institutions which are in the National Priority Programme have been brought under the purview of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa through a gazette notification issued last week.
Among other institutions are the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Allied Institutions, the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Allied Institutions and the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT).
In an earlier gazette which was issued in August, the 7 institutions without the Presidential tasks forces in the National Priority Programme were not assigned to any particular institute or ministry.
The objectives of the programme include expanding digital governance by the adoption of information technology as a tool in the delivery of efficient and people-centric services and exchange of knowledge, simplifying governance mechanism and the market process.
It also intends to install international electronic commerce and international electronic payment systems and formulate new laws and institutional structures for Data Security, CyberSecurity and intellectual property rights.
Introducing legal and institutional provisions for transforming Colombo City into an international, commercial, trading and financial centre highlighting the special importance of Sri Lanka in relation to environmental sensitivity and the field of information technology, knowledge and skills, tourism and sports.
Expanding local and foreign investment facilities for export and import substitute productions benefiting all parties thereby eradicating poverty through national development programme spelt out in the policy statement: “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”
Accordingly, the institutions that will come under the President through the programme are as follows:
1. Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Allied Institutions
2. Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Allied Institutions
3. Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team
4. Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI)
5. Colombo Port City Project
6. Sri Lanka Telecom and its Subsidiaries and Allied Institutions
7. All Information Technology Parks
8. Presidential Task Force to study and provide instructions on measures to be taken by all Armed Forces to prevent Coronavirus infection among Members of the Tri-Forces
9. Presidential Task Force to build a Secure Country, Disciplined, Virtuous and Lawful Society
10. Covid-19 Ministerial Task Force
11. Presidential Task Force for Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province
12. Presidential Task Force on Sri Lanka’s Education Affairs
13. Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation
(Colombo/Oct02/2020)
Reported by Imesh Ranasinghe