Government keen on building a digital economy

The Government is actively pursuing block-chain technology, which would facilitate digital currencies and a larger digital economy in the future.

This initiative falls in line with the vision of the Government to build a technology-based society ‘Smart Nation’, said State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development, Namal Rajapaksa.

Delivering the keynote address on the theme ‘Digital Inclusion and Transformation in South Asia’ at a virtual event on Friday (August 27), Minister Rajapaksa also invited Corporations to invest more in digital platforms and online trading, assuring a simplified process for e-businesses in the future.

The event, organised jointly by the Observe Research Foundation (ORF) of India, Colombo Initiative in Sri Lanka and the Sappani Foundation in Canada, aims to promote engagements between Sri Lanka, India and other nations in the region, which also aligns with Minister Rajapaksa’s vision to elevate Sri Lanka as a global hub for digital technology and commerce.

The event featured prominent digital industry leaders from India and Sri Lanka.

Minister Rajapaksa said, “We hope to attract more investment in the e-commerce space.” Commenting on the business opportunities in the esports industry, the Minister said, ``We also hope to promote esports and gaming, with so many talented youth and a vibrant community of gamers and developers alike, we see a lot of promise in this, especially for the younger generation. Globally esports is a $100 billion dollar industry with infinite potential.”

The Minister called upon the youth to explore these avenues to create a livelihood for themselves, while contributing to develop new industries. He also called upon the youth who are stuck indoors during the pandemic to capitalise on the digital space, not only to express their creativity but also to monetise it and thereby contribute towards post-pandemic economic recovery.

Minister Rajapaksa said that the Government, civil society and the private sector must work together to ensure that digital technologies benefit not only the economy but also society and the environment and have inclusion at heart.