e-Shilpagara to improve students' computer skills:

IT literacy will reach 75 percent by 2016 - Minister Siyambalapitiya

By Mohammed Naalir

A Bill has been presented in Parliament by the Telecommunication and Information Technology, Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya to enable tax reductions for the telecommunication and information technology sector. Tax on Internet will be reduced by 100 percent.

Plans are afoot to generate 100,000 job opportunities in the telecommunication and information technology sector, Minister Siyambalapitiya said in an interview with the Sunday Observer.

At present, $ 400 million is earned from this sector and the Ministry is targeting to increase it to $ 1,000 million, he said.

Excerpts of the interview:

Question: What are the targets the Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry plans to achieve by 2016?

Answer: There are several goals to be achieved. Improving the computer skills of students and the public is one of them. Computer literacy is between 30 to 35 percent currently and moves are under way to increase it to 75 percent by 2016. Another focus of the Ministry is to utilise information technology to ease the day-to-day activities of the people.

Steps have been taken to provide computer facilities to 100 small schools in the Ampara district under the e-Shilpagara program as per the Deyata Kirula national development exhibition. A building, with 10 computers and two teachers will be given to each school.

The e-Shilpagara program functions in State schools throughout the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has extended his fullest cooperation to implement this program, Minister Siyambalapitiya said.

Q: How do you plan to achieve the target of obtaining fifth place in the world by providing BPO and Information Technology Services?

A: The assistance of Government and private sector institutions will be obtained to achieve this goal. Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel are the affiliated institutions. We have helped other institutions as well. The relief given by the Government and guidelines given by the Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry jointly with the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) are the main reasons for the increase in the use of mobile phones and land lines

We have taken steps to bring BPO technology to the village. We started the program in Buttala and will expand it to other parts of the country gradually. I believe the planned goals can be achieved soon.

Q: Can you explain the progress of the Nenasala Centres?

A: President Rajapaksa took steps to bring information technology to the village. He selected religious places as a first step to implement the program.

The firstNenasala was started in Kiri Vehera, Kataragama. Temples are places where a large number of villagers gather. People who follow other religions too go to their religious places in large numbers.

We have set up nearly 700 Nenasalas in various parts of the country. It is one of the main reasons for the computer literacy rate to rise to 35 percent in a short period.

The Vidatha Resource Centre program was not implemented by the Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry. These centres are also helpful in improving computer literacy in the village. These centres help farmers and domestic level manufacturers to obtain information to market their products.

The people in the rural areas have also benefited from the Vidatha Resource Centres.

Q: Can you explain the programs implemented by your Ministry to increase computer facilities in schools to 75 percent by 2016?

A: President Rajapaksa has allocated Rs. 750 million from the 2013 Budget for the Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry to implement the e-Shilpagara program countrywide.

In addition, the Education Ministry has implemented a program Mahindodaya to improve computer laboratories in 1,000 schools.

The TRC has also taken steps to provide buildings to improve information technology in selected schools in the districts with poor facilities at their expense. They have selected the Jaffna and Badulla districts for the program. We believe we can achieve more than the set target of 75 percent by 2016.

Q: Sri Lanka is in the forefront in the use of mobile phones in South Asia. What is the reason you attribute for this?

A: The Government has created a competitive environment in the telecommunication market. The price of mobile phones have declined considerably. Now phones are available in the open market at very low prices. Comparatively, call charges are also cheap. Internet facilities have been provided to all parts of the country. Our next aim is to merge information technology with education.

Q: The Ampara Hardy Technical Institute is being developed into a University. What are your plans?

A: The Hardy Higher Technical Institute was started during the period of the Gal Oya Project. The Institute produced a large number of technicians for the country. Those who successfully completed their studies at the Hardy Higher Technical Institute did not go looking for jobs because they were in demand.

They were employed in good positions and earned high salaries. The technicians who passed out from the Hardy Institute were well qualified and could serve in any technical capacity in the country.

With the onset of terrorism there was a severe setback at the Institute. The Institute continued to function, but there wasn't enough facilities. Student numbers had dropped. During earlier days even foreign students followed technical courses in the institute. Our endeavour on the directive of President Rajapaksa is to bring the Institute to its former glory.

Not only the Eastern Province, the entire country will benefit when the Hardy Institute reaches university status. The Eastern Province possesses special features when compared to other provinces. The Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese in the province live in unison. There is no doubt that the Institute will turn into the main technical education provider in the country.

Q: What are the other major development projects implemented in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa districts?

A: The Government has given priority to livelihood and infrastructure development projects in these districts in line with the Deyata Kirula accelerated development program.

A large amount of money have been spent on road development, electricity and on other important projects. Successful road development is the gateway of sustainable development in the region.

A good road network will assist in the development of the nation because road transport will enable the quick transfer of goods and services.