United Nations eGovernment survey 2014
Saturday, 19th July 2014
Chaminda Perera
The latest UN report on Thursday said Sri Lanka topped the South Asian region in terms of using Information Technology (IT) to provide public service. The country has also secured the 74th place this year among 193 countries that use Information Communication Technology (ICT) for public service.
According to the United Nations eGovernment survey 2014 which was released on Thursday, Sri Lanka has taken vast strides in using ICT to provide a service to the public.
Addressing a press conference to announce this achievement in Colombo, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjith Siyabalapitiya said every sector of the country is being empowered continuously through Information Technology.
The country which was in 115th place in the eGovernment Development Index in 2012 has succeeded in advancing 41 places forward in the index by 2014.
Many regional countries including India are far behind Sri Lanka in the eGovernment Development Index (EDGI). India is 44 places behind Sri Lanka while the Maldives is 20 places behind Sri Lanka.
The report states Sri Lanka which is in 5th place among 48 low middle income group countries of the world has also secured 36th place in the eservice sub index of EGDI. The UN report hailed the Government of Sri Lanka for making substantial effort to develop online portal. "The online portal offers A-Z government web indexes, 108 e services for citizens, 51 e services for businesses and 10 non residence related e service," it states.
Minister Siyabalapitiya said the eSri Lanka program implemented by the government to transform the public service into a more efficient and friendly one was a major contributor to this achievement.
The United Nations eGovernment Survey has gained wide acceptance as a global authoritative measure of how public administrations provide electronic and mobile public service.
Information and Communication Technology Agency Chief Executive Officer Reshan Dewapura and Director General Wasantha Deshapriya also spoke.
Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Jayaratne and Presidential advisor and ICTA Chairman Prof. P.W. Epasinghe were also present.
From : http://dailynews.lk/?q=local/lanka-tops-it-field-south-asia
