|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 23 March 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Science and Technology Ministry seeks self-reliance by INDUNIL THENUWARA The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched an ambitious programme to make all departments affiliated to the Ministry self-reliant and not a burden to the public. Minister of Science and Technology Keheliya Rambukwella told the Sunday Observer that State institutions must not be a burden to the public, but make their own contributions to the national economy. "Our programme of reaching this goal is already under way and we are looking into restructuring many departments coming under this ministry. Restructuring does not necessarily mean retrenchment, although this is the general perception. If the talents and skills of the staff are put to use towards development, there will be no need for retrenchment. When institutes become self-financed entities and not a burden on the public, the people will also be proud to work there. They will also receive better facilities and bonuses," he said. The Sri Lanka Standards Institution expects to become self-reliant by 2004 while programmes are also in the pipeline for the Industrial Technology Institute. The newly appointed minister said that one of their focuses is how best to make the Ministry public-friendly. "For this, we should interact more with the public and come to an assessment of the public perception on the Ministry. People are not aware of the services provided by us and the associated institutes, so creating this awareness is uppermost on our agenda. All in all, we should ensure that the money allocated for us is well spent," he said. "When we say 'science and technology', what springs to mind is Information Technology. However, there is a gamut of areas where we are involved in. People should know and make use of these facilities. "For instance, we have the Meteorology Department. Not long ago, the country was facing a severe drought which had repercussions on almost every sphere of life. If we had the resources to predict such a crisis, we could have prepared for the situation. Although we cannot prevent such natural phenomena, we could have cushioned the impacts. These are areas for us to work on. "Then, there is the National Engineering Research and Development Centre. Although its products and services can benefit people in many ways, people are not aware of them. Breakthrough marketing is necessary to carry this message to the public. Also, there are a lot of talented youngsters including schoolchildren who have come out with many new inventions. If they can be given a standing and their products popularised, we would have gained a lot," Rambukwella said. He added that people involved in science and technology do not gain due recognition at the moment. He emphasised that this should change and added that they are currently working on it. These concepts should be taken to rural areas as well. Science and technology should be made more vibrant and a contributor to the national economy. He explained that IT is an area which can take a country forward. "Due to many reasons, we missed most of the opportunities in this sector. Now we need an ambitious programme to get back on track. We need to catch up with our competitors in the region. It is not a case of 'can we do it'. We must do it, and as fast as possible." The Minister said the private sector has a major role to play in this area. The Government should provide the framework and policy and the private sector should modernise the systems and speed up economic growth. e-Sri Lanka is one initiative taken by the Government in this direction. There is lot of foreign investor interest in the IT sector and we must exploit these opportunities to the maximum, he said. Minister Rambukwella said: "Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has a goal of achieving 10 per cent growth and sustaining it for at least 10 years. Every sector should make the maximum contribution towards achieving this goal and we are positive that we can play an important part here. "Despite difficulties, we have to ensure that the peace process continues. We owe this to our future generations." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
