ICTA conducts its fourth roadshow in the Eastern region

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) - the pioneer of digital transformation aiming to make Sri Lanka a digitally inclusive Nation - together with the Ministry of Technology, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRCSL), telecommunications partners and industry partners conducted its fourth roadshow in the east, a statement from it said.  

The first Regional Development Roadshow was organised in June focusing on the Northern Region, while the second and third Regional Development Roadshows also took place successfully in the Southern and Central Regions. There will be one more Roadshow in the Western region scheduled for this year.  

Over 1,500 participants attended the Eastern Region Roadshow and met with officials representing the Eastern and Uva Provinces. This initiative focuses on collaborating with stakeholders in the Eastern region such as government agencies, telecommunications and technology industry officials, SME sectors working in agriculture, education and other industries. This will help to introduce new and advanced technologies via experts, providing the necessary infrastructure for new technological research and development.  

The main Stakeholder Engagement forum held on the 26th of November was attended by participants physically and remotely. The event was interpreted in Sinhala, Tamil, and Sign languages ensuring the reach for a larger audience. The Government Forum was also held the same day and conducted with a presence of District Secretaries and the officials from their respective locations from Eastern and Uva Provinces.  

 Secretary to the Minister of Technology Jayantha De Silva initiated the session by stating that stakeholder support and involvement plays a vital role and that being another objective of conducting the Regional Roadshows across the country. He further added, “ICTA wants to build an instrument that would help make the government a very friendly and efficient one that interacts well and caters to the people.”  

Chairman of ICTA and the Director-General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) Mr. Oshada Senanayake, commenced the event with a positive note “We’ve been talking about five -billion-dollar economy. Today, we have re-calibrated that for US $ 3 billion we believe that the ICT industry can strive forward and create an export earning of that value with the local empowerment as a country.” 

He further added that “The second key aspect of achieving this is to ensure that we support the local startup ecosystem.”