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By Ashwin Hemmathagama
– Our Lobby Correspondent
The Government will be taking urgent measures to digitise the court system as a part of its ongoing digitalisation of State institutions, Non-Cabinet Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Ajith P. Perera held yesterday in Parliament.
Joining the debate on regulations proposed under the Judicature Act, made by the Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, as published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2116/28 on 26 March 2019, Minister Perera held the investment will not exceed Rs. 3 billion and it is a part of the integrated national digitisation endeavour of the Government.
“The Government is now in possession of hardware facilities to digitise the entire Government system. Lanka Government Network and the Lanka Government Cloud were successfully deployed. The Government is now in need of a software facility for this digitising process. Accordingly we are working on a National Data Interoperability and Identity Platform, which will facilitate exchange of critical data and digital information among Government organisations. A digital cyber system is crucial for a country for convenient accessibility to accurate information. On top of that, such digitisation will become a preventive measure against bribery, corruption and tax evasion,” he explained.
According to the Minister, many laws and regulations in the country which are outdated and will need urgent amendments. “Laws pertaining to asset declaration is outdated. We are looking at an updated and integrated law to be proposed in three months,” he added.
Minister Perera, also commenting on the provisions of Right to Information Act, which is widely in use to curb corruption, said: “Most Government officers and institutes are now reluctant to support corruption. The reason is that any information relating to such corruptions are accessible via the RTI. The Judiciary system is now in operation without any political influence or partialities as well. The general public has now developed confidence in the Judiciary system. All in all, this Government has taken admirable steps to improve the Judiciary system in the country.” (AH)
