The government has initiated the implementation of a modern, technology-driven Inventory Control System to ensure the swift and transparent delivery of relief assistance to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
A special discussion on the next phase of the system’s implementation was held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat, with officials from the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Defence, the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC), the Ministry of Digital Economy, and private technology firm Scienter Technologies in attendance.
With the intervention of the Presidential Secretariat, the newly introduced software system has been launched at the NDRSC to streamline the disaster relief distribution process. The system enables accurate recording and efficient management of all in-kind assistance received from foreign governments, international organisations, the Sri Lankan diaspora, and local and international donors, from the point of collection to final distribution.
Through this computerized platform, all non-financial foreign assistance received from overseas is fully digitized. The entire distribution process is monitored end-to-end, from the arrival of goods by air or sea to their delivery to final beneficiaries, ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency throughout relief operations.
Under the new process, relief supplies will be stored at the NDRSC’s main warehouse in Orugodawatta. Needs will be identified at the Grama Niladhari division level, with Divisional Secretaries submitting requests through the system. These requests will be forwarded by District Secretaries to the NDRSC, after which the relevant relief items will be distributed to affected communities through District and Divisional Secretaries.
The President’s Office stated that as all stages of the process are digitally recorded, the system ensures that relief reaches genuinely affected individuals without unnecessary delays, while maintaining full transparency and accountability in the management and distribution of aid.
The software system has been provided entirely free of charge by Scienter Technologies, while Orel Cloud and Microsoft have agreed to offer the required technical support at no cost.
All parties at the meeting agreed to sign the relevant Memorandum of Understanding in the coming week.
As a further enhancement, Scienter Technologies has also agreed to develop, free of charge, a mobile application that will enable Grama Niladhari officers to report disaster situations in real time.
