Boom in IT literacy rate

Anjana Samarasinghe and Tamara Nissanka

ICTA Consultant J.K Perera told Daily News the country’s IT literacy rate is between 15 percent to 20 percent. ICTA is targeting to increase this amount to 60 percent.

Earlier only the Western Province contributed to the country’s IT literacy level. But there is a significant growth in the rural communities who have IT literacy.

Under the Nenasala initiative ICTA was able to establish 400 Nenasala units around the country. The 400th Nenasala was established yesterday at the Colombo District Secretariat. ICTA expects to increase this number to 600 by the end of this year.

“We have establish a Nenasala at the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB). Within a few months time we will be linking all the Nenasala centres in the island with the FEB Nenasala.

This will help rural youth to find foreign job opportunities available at the FEB, Perera said.

Project Manager Information Infrastructure of ICTA S. Gavashkar told Daily News that they have nearly 15 Nenasala centres in North East areas and they have noticed that there is a high demand for the videoconferencing.

In North, ICTA has Nenasala centres in the Jaffna University and Palali. Most of the people live in Jaffna use videoconferencing to keep in touch with their relatives abroad, he said.

He also said that apart from Nenasala centres there are private communication centres in north, and these communication facilities are available at affordable prices. At present in Jaffna they charge Rs 60 for one hour Internet surfing.

Nenasala units function with the objective of achieving ICT development in rural areas, poverty alleviation through strengthening administration and providing opportunities for every citizen to develop their global knowledge by getting in touch with the world.

Every e-Nenasala unit provides access to the Internet, e-mail, phone calls and other educational facilities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 400th Nenasala. Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Karu Jayasuriya said the revival in ICT currently seen in the country will serve to restore old certificates (Birth, death etc.).

It will also help resolve immense difficulties faced by the people throughout the documentation process of receiving various Government allowances.

The Minister also said the development of information infrastructure would contribute to make a change in the attitudes of the people where Government administration will be viewed in a more positive light by the masses.