Digital economy in the making - Harin

By Shannine Daniel

Sri Lanka needs to embrace the rapid changes in technology taking place around the world and, taking this into account, plans are already underway to go for a digital economy over the next two months, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Harin Fernando said yesterday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the INFOTEL ICT exhibition, the Minister said there needs to be an IT representative in every Gramaseva division and people, including senior citizens based in agriculture based areas such as Badulla, needed to be educated on using smart-phones and other intelligent devices.

“The world is changing fast and technology is also moving fast. Sri Lanka also needs to embrace these changes,” he said.

The government is set to draft proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers that will include a paper on household management transfer systems, the Minister said.

“As Sri Lankans we should be proud, as the country is poised to be an IT hub for the whole of South Asia,” he added.

INFOTEL, an annual ICT exhibition, kicked off on yesterday at the BMICH. The flagship event of FITIS, INFOTEL has progressed to become the largest technology exhibition held in the country, and is supported by the chief decision makers of top organisations within the country.

One primary incentive behind this event is the promotion of ICT among the youth, which will contribute to the Growth of the National Economy in future, Fernando affirmed.

FITIS Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama, meanwhile, said that it is important to educate senior citizens, as well as children and the youth, on the importance of ICT for everyday use.

  “The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers the people to do what they want to do. It makes them creative and it makes them learn things they didn’t think they could learn before,” concurred the Minister.

 INFOTEL 2015 is taking place hand-in-hand with the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2015, which is currently taking place in Colombo.

“As a nation we should be proud that our country is hosting this IT hub; about 100,000 Local and Foreign businessmen are expected to attend,” continued Fernando.

 Lasting for three days, the exhibition promises to feature an ample range of ICT solutions and services and at the same time will also provide opportunities for up-and-coming local brands and start-up firms to display their capabilities to a large audience under one roof.

From showcasing the latest technological innovations to Career Guidance and opportunities for growing companies to gain ICT Knowledge, this exhibition caters widely to a diverse range of individuals including Corporate Executives, ICT Professionals, Policymakers, Entrepreneurs, Researchers, Teachers, IT Students and members of the General Public.

“I’m glad that this event is open to the public. Everyone needs to familiarise themselves with the field of IT, regardless of their age,” said Fernando.