ICTA is completely finished, now GOVTECH

Taking a new step towards Sri Lanka's digital transformation, the Ministry of Digital Economy has taken measures to dissolve the currently operating Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and establish a new 'GOVTECH' institution in its place. The operations of this new institution are scheduled to commence within the next three to six months, and a provision of two billion rupees has been allocated for this purpose in the 2026 budget.

In addition, this project will receive financial assistance of USD 50 million from the World Bank and USD 75 million from the Asian Development Bank over the next four years.

A special media briefing on this new initiative was recently held at the ICTA premises in Colombo, attended by Engineer Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, and Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Digital Economy Advisor to the President. The Deputy Minister emphasized that the main objective of this GOVTECH institution is to practically implement the policies introduced by the Digital Economy Authority, which will be established in line with the government's new digital economy policy, and to build essential digital infrastructure.

This institution, which is set to operate as a fully state-owned enterprise (SOE), will not directly create software or programs. Instead, it will provide necessary consulting services, platform facilities, and capacity building activities to ensure the success of government digitalization programs. Applications have already been called for recruiting 150 skilled technical professionals under the highest salary scales available in the IT sector. Furthermore, plans are in place to recruit approximately fifty staff members currently working at the dissolving ICTA institution into the new institution based on their qualifications.

In the initial phase, the new institution's operations will be conducted within the current ICTA building, and later, based on ministerial decisions, it is expected to be moved to a more convenient location. Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya stated that the GOVTECH institution, operating without a profit motive, will function according to a model where operational expenses are covered by the income generated through its operations. Among the primary responsibilities of the new institution are laying the groundwork for the government's digital identity project, the Super App software, and artificial intelligence-related activities, as well as updating the currently used Local Government Cloud 2+ (LGC2+) system to LGC 3, thereby expanding the use of artificial intelligence technology.

Special attention has also been paid to ensuring the country's digital data and cyber security, and a Data Protection Authority has already been established for this purpose. In addition, steps have been taken to establish a separate regulatory body for cyber security and to further empower the currently operating Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT). Accordingly, in the future, the GOVTECH institution and SLCERT institution will work jointly to strengthen cyber security efforts in the country.