Developing e-content talent, best way to make ICT benefits reach people -Secretary to President

Telecommunication and IT Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya presents the trophy and certificate to winners. ICTA CEO, Reshan Dewapura looks on.

The best way to make the benefits of ICT reach the people, especially the disadvantaged as envisaged by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to develop local e-content talent, said President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga.

He was the guest of honour at the e-Swabhimani Awards 2011 held in Colombo recently. Speaking about ICT and education, Weeratunga said that providing computer laboratories to remote schools would be of no use if there was no appropriate e-content.

All efforts, therefore, must be made to develop local e-content covering every sector, Weeratunga said.

Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya who was the chief guest said that e-Swabhimani played a pivotal role in meeting the challenges the President had placed before us. I would invite everyone to join in working towards the national ICT goals, as we endeavour to make Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia.

ICTA CEO, Reshan Dewapura placed e-Swabhimani in its perspective about pointing out the event’s theme seven years of e-Sri Lanka and the growth of the e-Society he said. As articulated in the Mahinda Chinthana, it is important to recognise and give prominence to local talent, local skills and local innovations and also to recognise these talents in a very progressive manner.

The e-Swabhimani Awards, held for the third consecutive year this time, produced valuable local e-content. Of the 149 applications for nine categories there were 20 winners, 12 special merit awardees, 20 recipients of certificates of appreciation, two developers bagging jurors distinction awards and one won the Youth Encouragement Award introduced for the first time this year.