ICT exports projected to hit $1b mark this year
Sri Lanka is emerging as a top outsourcing destination for
Information Communication Technology (ICT) related businesses and also a
knowledge centre.
Last year Lankan exports from IT related products hit the $790
million mark and the latest projections are that the country will
achieve $1 billion this year itself - a year ahead of what was
previously predicted, a top official of the Sri Lanka Association of
Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) said.Supported by the
country’s apex export facilitator, the EDB and JETRO Colombo, Sri
Lanka’s raging ICT/BPO sector clinched a breakthrough to Asia’s hi-tech
powerhouse last week in Colombo.“This is almost an historic occasion for
Sri Lanka’s ICT sector whose software now powers even global high-end
solutions, including Microsoft’s Live Search Engine,” said CEO, SLASSCOM,
Mano Sekaram at the signing of the first-ever MoU between SLASSCOM’s
World Trade Centre and Japan Information Technology Services Association
(JISA) on Thursday.The JISA delegation was led by Vice President, JISA,
Kazunori Hamano. Resident Representative, JETRO Colombo, Kazuhiko Obama
and EDB Export Services Director, Saman Maldeni were also present.
The JISA delegation also took part in the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA)
Conference in Colombo,
The EDB, with the Federation of Information and Technology Sri Lanka
(FITIS) and APICTA Secretariat organized a seminar and networking
meetings for the visiting JISA delegation.
“The joint declaration on the ‘Comprehensive Partnership between
Japan and Sri Lanka’ following Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s
recent meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stressed that
the two countries need to further strengthen and broaden bi-lateral
cooperation to develop ICT,” said Sekaram.
“We are thankful to JETRO Colombo for facilitating the visit of JISA
ICT experts along with JETRO officials earlier this year and conducting
a survey on Sri Lanka’s prospect for links with the Japanese ICT
industry. After such preparatory steps, finally we are sealing this MoU
today. Our ICT sector growth is continuous, and the workforce is
expected to be 200,000-strong by 2022,” he said.
Vice President, JISA, Kazunori Hamano said, “ICT is the base industry
for all other industries. Our MoU with Sri Lanka’s ICT/BPO sector in
which we share industry information is not only a new opening for Sri
Lanka but for us at JISA too.”
“The first MoU is also about technology and technical aspects.
Software sales and promotion will come later. JISA has similar MoUs with
Taiwan, China, Bahrain and Korea and this is a first for us in South
Asia and, therefore, this is important for us too,” he said.
“JISA has 593 Japanese members including information processing and
database VAN service suppliers and leading software developers under it. |
