Sri Lanka will set up four techno parks this year and all the preliminary work for the establishment of these parks including land acquisition for them have already been completed. These parks will be established in Galle,Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala.
Secretary to the Ministry of Technology Jayantha De Silva, at the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) organized 10th e-Swabhimani 2020 Awards ceremony held in Colombo said the first park should be ready by October 2021.
“These parks will help in building a technology-centric economy and the creation of these four new technology parks in the country has been identified as a major step in that direction. A techno park is a one-stop-shop that
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Lalith Weeratunga, Principal Advisor to the President.
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supports and facilitates technology-based initiatives in the private sector and they will have access to some unique features like golf courses, swimming pools and other entertainment and relaxing features allowing both employee and Employer to work in a better environment and different culture. We want to make the parks the best in the world,” he said. These proposed techno parks will include incubator facilities for setting up startup programs and collaborative activities, uninterrupted power supply, telecommunication centers, administrative management offices, banking, conference centers, recreational facilities, parking and internal transportation and other facilities.The aim is to create an economy driven by technology entrepreneurs to increase export and foreign earnings from the technology sector and to open up knowledge and professional services to the national economy. Techno parks create an environment that supports regional development through digital transformation and innovation.
He said that for the first time the court automation process has commenced and this would be a world’s first from Sri Lanka. He also disclosed that the much talked about digital IDs would be a reality soon while the automation of the government institution too is taking place on schedule.
“A Unique feature is that all these were home grown solutions,” he said.
Commenting during the awards ceremony, Lalith Weeratunga, Principal Advisor to the President and Chief Guest for the event said, “As the world grapples with many challenges, we feel the need for innovators and thinkers more than ever. In this background, ICTA has a big role to play in recognizing young innovators and supporting them to make an impact through their innovations. e-Swabhimani is a timely initiative that sets the platform for these innovators to emerge.”
Prof Lalith Gamage Chairman of ICTA said, “Over the years, ICTA has been instrumental in driving the nation towards digital transformation by integrating digital laws, expanding the ICT industry and supporting startups, innovators and entrepreneurs. IT was recalled that it was the former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who removed the 15% VAT for ICT based imports.
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