“ICT – platform for good governance, Sustainable development and lasting peace in a country”- CSSL President
The President of the CSSL Mahesh Perera said that ICT can be used as a platform for good governance, sustainable development and lasting peace, speaking at the launching ceremony of the 30th National Information Technology Conference (NITC) organized by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka ( CSSL) held at the Hotel Galadari, Colombo, recently. The conference this year was held under the theme ‘ICT for GAP.’ (GAP stands for Governance, All and Peace).
Delivering the welcome speech at the launching ceremony of the 30th National Information Technology Conference ( NITC), CSSL President Mahesh Perera said, “The theme of this year’s conference, ‘ICT for GAP’, is appropriate at a time we are committed for the development of the nation. ‘ GAP’ stands for ‘ Governance’, ‘All’ and ‘ Peace’. Good governance, an inclusive society and lasting peace are key pillars of sustainable development of any nation. ICT is a great enabler that is capable of making this development paradigm a reality.
“To prove this point, I will share some examples with you.
“Good governance and sustainable development are closely associated with each other. Good governance has many characteristics including accountability, transparency, responsiveness, and participation, the rule of law, efficiency, leadership, and strategic vision that promote sustainable development. Good governance equally applies to both public and private sector organizations.
“The use of ICT in strengthening good governance, particularly in the public sector is known as e- governance, and it is known as e-commerce in the context of the private sector. Whatever the term used, the bottom line is, an improved value proposition for stakeholders. Therefore, e-govern- ance can be seen as a distinct value adding system representing good governance characteristics mentioned earlier.”
Saying Sri Lanka has arrived at a historic juncture in development after three decades of war, Perera further elaborated, “Today, we are witnessing significant development in the country in many fronts. For example, we have been successful in ending a three decade long terror conflict on our soil. In terms of the Millennium Development Goals ( MDG), Sri Lanka has already achieved 13 out of 22 targets set for 2015. In terms of the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, Sri Lanka has been positioned 89th out of 183 global economies. It is no secret that the government has set a target that is indeed admirable, to raise this position to the 30th by 2016. In terms of e-initiatives, we do have many success stories such as 1919, e-revenue license, e- visa etc and now, e- money too. However, to leapfrog to the next level of development to be the ‘Wonder of Asia’ as correctly set out by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the national vision for development, it is pivotal that an ICT backed governance framework, or rather e-governance, be established countrywide, giving emphasis on outputs, outcomes and impacts.’’
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Chandima Weerakkody, speaking at the NITC – 2012 launching ceremony said that this government under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is working in the extreme for the promotion of the ICT field. He said that the government’s aim is increasing the ICT literacy of Sri Lanka to 75% by 2016.
ICT Agency of Sri Lanka ( ICTA), CEO, Reshan Dewapura, clarified the important role ICTA has played in the development of the ICT field of Sri Lanka. He described, at length, the successful projects activated by the ICTA to date such as the Government Information Centre ( GIC- 1919), the Lanka Government Network ( LGN), the Lanka Gat e, the Lanka Government Cloud ( LGC) and the e-Population Register.
The 30th NITC-2012 emphasized the role of ICT in strengthening good governance, promoting equal opportunities and sustaining peace. A large number of famous intellectuals in the ICT field participated in this conference. Member of Parliament and Economist Dr. Harsha de Silva spoke on “ICT for GAP: an Economic Development Perspective”, Australian Computer Society, President, Dr. Nick Tate spoke on “The Future of the IT Department”,
University of Colombo, School of Computing (UCSC), Former Director, Dr. Ruvan Weerasinghe spoke on “Technology and Democracy”, LIRN Asia, CEO, Prof. Rohan Samarajiva spoke on “Connected Nation,” Sri Lanka Investors Commission, Chairmen, Deepal Sooriyaarachchi spoke on “Emerging technological opportunities in social transformation,” and Univesity of Moratuwa, Department of Computer Science, Nadeeja Abeyasekara, spoke on “Engineering Diaspora contribution to IT entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.”
The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) was founded in 1976 by a group of volunteers for the purpose of promoting information technology and professionalism among those engaged in the field of ICT. During the past 36 years the CSSL has carried out many initiatives in line with the objectives mentioned. Today, the CSSL is the visible front of ICT professionals in the country. This year too the CSSL has a strategy to promote technology, to empower the membership, to strengthen the CSSL and to become an active partner in the country’s development drive.
The Nat i o n a l
I n format i o n Technology Conference is one of the annual events that the CSSL has been committed to since 1982, and carried out with resounding and remarkable success. Over the years, the NITC has become one of the top most ICT conferences held in the region. Today the CSSL marks yet another significant milestone, completing the 30th event in a series of national annual events, in the history of ICT in Sri Lanka.
In addition to the NITC, the CSSL is into many other strategic initiatives. This year, the society will be holding the 23rd National School Software Competition ( NSSC), an island- wide event with the aim of promoting problem solving and programming talent among school children. This programme is conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Education; and students who excel in this competition are sponsored for the International School Software Competition (ISSC), a competition that is being held among the countries of the South Asia Region including, Australia. The society is pleased to announce that this year’s ISSC will be held in Sri Lanka hosted by the CSSL. IT Master Mind - a quiz competition among school children; Deyata IT - IT awareness programme for rural community; Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Chapters – professional development programmes are some of the activities lined up in the society’s annual calendar.
The Platinum Sponsor of the 30th NITC 2012 was CISCO Systems. The Gold Sponsor was Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel. The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka ( ICTA) and the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology were strategic alliance partners. ESOFT was the Education Partner while the Print Media sponsorship was extended by Daily News. Derana TV was the Electronic Media sponsor.