SL needs broad digital agenda for development

By Charumini de Silva

A broad digital development agenda should drive technology adaption in business, skills development and good governance, the World Bank’s representative in Sri Lanka said yesterday, adding that technology alone could not drive growth. 

Launching the World Bank Report on ‘Digital Dividends’ and related LIRNEasia research on realising optimal benefits from ICT, World Bank Country Director of Sri Lanka and Maldives, Idah Pswarayi Riddihough, said ICT was a critical contributor in addressing the governance agenda that the Government was emphasising, more so because Sri Lanka had committed to being a part of an open government partnership. 

It was pointed out that as a contributor to jobs in Sri Lanka, the ICT sector generates less than 2% of employment. Thereby she suggested that there was potential to improve and support the Government’s vision to create one million jobs.

The World Bank’s recent diagnostic exercise on poverty assessment and the country partnership framework outlines that the creation of jobs has played a key role in the reduction of poverty in Sri Lanka over the last decade. 

According to the World Bank’s Development Report it documents that many examples in internet-related technologies have promoted inclusion, efficiency and innovation. 

“In many of these instances this has allowed businesses to get more productive, people to find new opportunities and Governments to improve their operations. The payoff has been faster growth, more jobs and better services. This is what the report refers to as digital dividends,” she added. 

Noting that the world was experiencing the greatest information and communication revolution in human history, she added that there was early evidence of change all around us. 

“Even among the poorest 20% of households, 7 out of 10 have access to a mobile phone. In addition, more than 40% of the world’s population now has access to the internet. This is more than those who have access to drinking water, improved toilets or electricity in their homes,” she stressed. 

Riddihough pointed out that in many of these instances this has allowed businesses to get more productive, people to find new opportunities and Governments to improve their operations. 

“The payoff has been faster growth, more jobs and better services. This is what the report refers to as digital dividends,” she added. 

Although this rapid technological progress has provided benefits to the poor and disadvantaged, she asserted that it was not a completely rosy picture. 

The report also finds that many people around the world are yet to see the benefits of the digital revolution due to the growing digital divide. 

Digital adoption by firms in developing countries has been rather slow. Automation, even in midlevel jobs, is disrupting labour markets. The claims by many advocates of digital technology that the benefits of the digital revolution will automatically trickle down everywhere and to everyone have not been validated, she added.