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by Pravin Mendis

Experts in the IT sector yesterday called upon the new Government to take measures to popularise IT in public and rural sectors and formulate guidelines on the functions of IT institutions.

Following are comments by the experts.

Sunimal Weerasooriya of the NIIT Education and Training Centre said the new Government needs to pay attention to formulate a clear IT policy for the sector which will address the core issues involved such as employment generation, software development and training.

The Government needs to formulate a standardisation program on the setting up of IT centres in the country with clear guidelines program on its functions and tasks. This will be beneficial for the customers who are the students of these institutions.School level IT education awareness programs must be initiated to increase the level of IT literacy among schoolchildren which stands at a very low level at present, Mr. Weerasooriya said.

IT education has to be included in the school curriculum under the initiation of the Government.

The IT Park in Malabe could be a good investment which should maintain its standard to cater to the needs and changes in the IT sphere.

Dr. Ifthikar Ismail, CEO of the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) said the Government has to evolve a strategy for IT while investing on creating niche markets for companies specialising in software development in specialised fields such as Millennium Technologies which have won acclaim for stock market developments.

It is also essential that the Government introduces IT into public life in the sectors which closely interact with the public in the country, he said.Some sectors that need a rapid transformation are pensions, birth and death registration, the police and security services and the education sectors.

The need for a transformation of public life into a computerised atmosphere is a pressing need, Dr. Ismail said.The utilisation of IT by the public and to make it a way of life in fulfilling the daily needs while minimising bureaucratic red-tape in Government institutions. covering Wide Area Networks in public governance was also stressed.

Dr. Lalith Gamage, Managing Director/CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) said the business community has been working very closely with the IT sector in a coherent manner through the ICT Cluster. Therefore, the task for the new Government is to continue the good programs initiated by the former Government.

Infrastructure has to be developed in Malabe according to a master plan in order that we encourage investors to set up ventures in Malabe.There should be more emphasis on e-government and e-learning programs which need immediate attention of the Government elect.

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