President reviews digitalisation of local authorities and Divisional Secretariats

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday afternoon (29) chaired a progress review at the Presidential Secretariat on programmes to digitalise local authorities and Divisional Secretariats. The programmes are being implemented under the Government’s digital transformation programme aimed at ensuring faster, more efficient and transparent public services.

The meeting included an extensive discussion on the “National Framework for the Digitalisation of Local Authorities”, which is currently being developed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

The President instructed officials to identify the full range of functions that a local authority is required to perform for citizens, distinguish between the services that can and cannot be incorporated into the digital system, and examine whether all such services are covered by the systems currently in operation.

Establishing a single national system covering the entire public service, instead of separate systems operated independently by different institutions, was also discussed. The President emphasised the need for the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Digital Economy to work in close coordination.

He instructed that three officers from the Ministry of Digital Economy be assigned to efficiently coordinate the further development of the national system operated under the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, while identifying shortcomings in existing systems and making the necessary amendments and improvements.

Digital mechanisms developed to provide services to the public through local authorities were also discussed, including rates payments, miscellaneous revenue payments such as charges for display boards and bookings of playgrounds and public halls, shop rentals, water bill payments, and obtaining various permits and licences, as well as digital systems established to enable the public to obtain prompt solutions to their grievances. Particular attention was also paid to ways in which systems such as GovPay could be further developed through this programme.

Digitalisation being implemented at Divisional Secretariat level was also discussed. More than 300 services currently provided by Divisional Secretariats have been identified, and the progress of networking services from the Grama Niladhari level through to the Divisional Secretariat and District Secretariat levels was reviewed.

Attention was also focused on the digitalisation process currently being implemented at Divisional Secretariats in the Polonnaruwa District. The meeting discussed the success and experiences relating to activities such as the purchase of paddy and the provision of relief during disasters.

The President instructed that, under the Divisional Secretariat Digitalisation Programme, the programme should initially be implemented as a fully equipped model module based on one selected district, with all necessary facilities incorporated.

The “GovHR” digital system, which is being implemented to digitalise the entire process relating to public officers from the date of their appointment until their retirement, was also discussed.

Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Adviser to the President on Digital Economy Hans Wijayasuriya, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Aloka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Sri Dhanapala, ministry secretaries and heads of relevant line agencies were among those present.