Development of E-Governance in Sri Lanka

Evolution of e-Governance concept in Sri Lanka can be traced back to 1983 because the Government of Sri Lanka for the first time recognized its obligation for ICT development by creating the National Computer Policy of 1983. The Information and Communication Technology Act No. 27 of 2003 came into existence in 2003 and the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka was established. In 2004, “e-Sri Lanka Development Project” was initiated. It included information infrastructure building, improvement of human resources in ICT, citizen-specific service delivery, creating a modern government using ICT for social and economic development, and endorsing Sri Lanka as a destination for ICT. The e-Sri Lanka initiative expects to use ICT to develop the economy of Sri Lanka by reducing poverty and thus improving the quality of life of its citizens. Presently, the government makes an effort in realizing this vision through six programme strategy schemes. This is explored in this chapter.