President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has highlighted the importance of establishing a strong foundation for government investments in the digital economy, which is a central focus of the proposed 2026 Budget.
He made these remarks during a progress review meeting of the Ministry of Digital Economy for 2025, held at the Ministry premises yesterday.
The meeting reviewed the progress and future strategies of digital development projects undertaken by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the Department for Registration of Persons (DRP), and GovTech (Pvt) Ltd. It also identified challenges causing project delays and discussed policy and administrative measures to address them.
Discussions included ways to create a more conducive environment for private sector investment in digital infrastructure, including the construction of telecom towers across the island.
President Dissanayake emphasized the need to accelerate the “Communication to the Village” initiative, setting a target to install 500 new towers within three years.
He also instructed DRP officials to resolve delays in issuing National Identity Cards and called for expediting the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) project, strengthening the Ministry’s administrative and operational framework, establishing a new Digital Economy Authority, and developing the necessary human resources to support a robust digital economy.
