Lanka Government Network to be taken over by ICTA subsidiary

Monday, 22 August 2011 01:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers has authorised supplementary funding amounting to approximately Rs. 74 million to enable a subsidiary owned by ICTA to maintain and operate the Lanka Government Network (LGN), beyond August 2011.

The LGN was initially established under a Korean Government-funded programme through a managed services contract implemented by Samsung Networks Inc. The objective was to establish a Government-wide network with basic IT infrastructure under the e-Sri Lanka Development Project, through which Government services could be provided by electronic means to ensure greater efficiency in the delivery of Government services.

The first phase connected 325 Government locations (including several provincial councils, district secretariats and divisional secretariats) across the country and the second phase connected additional 150 locations, with additional focus in underserved areas.

With the end of the warranty period, the maintenance and operations of the LGN have to be gradually taken over by the Government.

For this purpose, ICTA has already established a fully-owned subsidiary, under ICTA supervision, named Lanka Government Information Infrastructure Ltd., to take over the maintenance and operation of the LGN. For this purpose a sum of Rs. 74 million has been allocated by the Cabinet of Ministers pursuant to a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The newly-established subsidiary will ensure that the operational activities of the LGN are in line with the goals and objectives of the e-Sri Lanka Development Project implemented by ICTA, with a long-term objective of building sustainability measures so that all Government services could be eventually provided by electronic means to citizens in a more effective and transparent manner.