FITIS conducts first-ever virtual AGM and re-elects Abbas Kamrudeen as Chairman

Abbas Kamrudeen was elected as the Chairman of the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) Friday, 31 July at its first-ever virtual AGM for the second term. 

A leading figure in the ICT industry, Kamrudeen, counts for over two decades’ experience in management primarily in the IT/BPO sector, with experience ranging from Regional Manager of ‘Capita Group UK’ handling BPO operations of the BBC, to Director/CEO of AKLO Information Technologies Ltd. He now acts as the Managing Director of Debug Group of Companies, overlooking a number of technology companies within the Group which include Debug Computers, an ICT hardware and infrastructure company, ETL, a radio communications company, Debug Creative Labs, a software development firm and Sinetcom, an information security company. 

Further, he is an executive committee member of Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA), serves as an international judge at the APICTA awards and has also been appointed to the Director Board of LK Domain Registry, a Director of the ICT Skills Council of Sri Lanka and a Board Director of the Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sri Lanka. He has also been recently appointed to the SAARC CCI General Assembly. 

Commenting on the way forward for FITIS and the industry, Kamrudeen said, “On the eve of electing a new government, I would like to commend the effective utilisation of technology during the lockdown period. On a long term point of view we would like to see implementation of a digital economy where effective use of technology within every element of the economy, be it public sector, private sector, exporters, SMEs or the general public, will result in a contribution of 7% growth to our GDP over the next three years. Further, as an industry we request government support to help local software product companies to support them becoming global players and contributing towards the ICT export revenue target of $ 3 billion.”

This is the industry that is going to drive every other industry forward. We have a very big responsibility. And it is time that we looked beyond and start playing a role in digital transformation. We need to help organisations to transform. 

Our first key mandate is to lead and drive digital transformation in Sri Lanka moving towards a digital economy and encouraging private sector, public sector, and citizens towards digitisation. Our second key mandate is to help, develop and foster creation of intellectual property within Sri Lanka and assist companies in expansion to build global brands for these Intellectual Properties (IPs).

In order to achieve our key mandates, we need to develop our digital eco system by way of encouraging digital adoption within key industries, creating a platform to recognise digital initiatives, increasing ICT literacy levels within all section of the population, supporting to expedite E-gov initiatives, digital advisory consultancy for export companies, link tech companies with exporters, working with government to increase smartphone and internet penetration and developing infrastructure to drive a vibrant, world class startup and innovation ecosystem within Sri Lanka. 

Meanwhile, Lanka Bell Managing Director Dr. Prasad Samarasinghe was elected as the Senior Vice Chairman of FITIS and LK Domain Registry CEO Prof. Gihan Dias was elected as Vice Chairman of FITIS for the second term.