Govt. accelerates digital transformation in labour sector

Tuesday, 1 April 2025 03:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government last week held a high-level discussion to streamline Labour Department services and to enhance transparency and improve efficiency and convenience for the public.

The move is part of the Government’s digital transformation project, a key initiative overseen by President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his capacity as Digital Economy Minister.

The initiative aims to modernise State institutions by introducing efficient, technology-driven services, with the Labour Ministry among the first to undergo digitisation.

Holds high-level meeting to streamline Labour Department services
Participants stress importance of reducing bureaucratic delays, enabling quicker, effective service delivery to public
Says proposed digitisation project will focus on creating unified digital platform, allowing seamless coordination between institutions – Department of Labour, the Central Bank, and EPF

The meeting, held on 27 March at the Labour Ministry, was attended by Labour Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe, and Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne, alongside key Ministry officials, bank representatives, and lecturers from the University of Moratuwa – where they focused on streamlining public services through digital technology.

During the discussion, special attention was given to the Department of Labour, a critical institution coming under the purview of the Labour Ministry, and the urgent need to enhance its

efficiency.

Participants stressed the importance of reducing bureaucratic delays and enabling quicker, more effective service delivery to the public. The proposed digitisation project will focus on creating a unified digital platform, allowing seamless coordination between institutions such as the Department of Labour, the Central Bank, and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).

Last week, Deputy Minister Jayasinghe revealed that over 22,450 Government, semi-Government and private companies have failed to pay EPF contributions totalling Rs. 36 billion (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Over-22-000-firms-owe-Rs-36-b-in-unpaid-EPF-contributions/44-774742).

Officials emphasised that digitisation will not only enhance transparency but also improve compliance monitoring, ensuring that workers receive their rightful benefits without unnecessary delays.

Through this transformation, the Government envisions a public service that saves both time and effort for citizens, making processes smoother and more accessible. By allowing key services to be accessed online, the initiative seeks to eliminate long queues, paperwork burdens, and inefficiencies that have plagued the labour sector for years.

The discussion underscored the Government’s commitment to digitalisation, not merely as a technological upgrade, but as a fundamental shift towards a more transparent, accountable, and efficient public administration system.