Sri Lanka ready to provide optimum service via mobile phones

As mobile phones become integrated into our lives their use for providing public service is becoming more and more pervasive", said ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) CEO Reshan Dewapura.

The ICTA CEO shared the success of the e-Development program in Sri Lanka with the world ICT leaders at the World Summit Awards, ICT conference in Cairo recently..

ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura addressing WSA 2012 in Cairo flanked on his left by leading Mobile Strategist to Madonna, Lady Gaga and U2 Ralph Simon and on the right by European Software Institute Regional Manager George Sharkov

He said that that the Government was ready to provide key citizen services via the mobile phone within the next two to four years. .

We have great potential in Sri Lanka, for providing public services via the mobile phone. We have technology, creativity and a growing demand for such services, he said.

Explaining the ICT road map of the country, Dewapura said that past experience will help harness a fruitful future in mobile technology. Sri Lankan talents and innovations will induce further growth.

Sri Lanka's flagship project where the mobile phone could be used, the Government Information Service project (1919) has extended its areas of service thus increasing people's comfort", the ICTA CEO said.

"Information service, e.g., on 'train timetables' and 'current status of applications for the 'national identity card' or 'police clearance certificate' is now a widely used service", Dewapura said. The ICTA CEO said that currently some of the solutions were available via Lanka Gate.

Examples are issuance of vehicle revenue licences and online issuance of Sri Lankan visa to foreign nationals.

He said that although payment could not yet be made via mobile phones, plans were under way for payment through Lanka Gate via mobile phones in the future.

"In the future the Lanka Gate will be used for all payments required for Government services", he said. "Today we witness the power of the mobile phone to empower millions with information, content and services. Sri Lanka is ahead of many countries in mobile users with a 90 per cent population coverage with 18 million mobile subscribers out of its population of about 21 million," Dewapura said.