Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka

Excerpts from the address of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the inauguration of the eAsia 2009 exhibition held at the BMICH on December 2.
In the 'Mahinda Chintana', my election manifesto, which received the endorsement of the people, we recognized the importance of rapidly creating an information society in Sri Lanka. We are now looking forward to transforming that information society to a knowledge culture in the decade to come.
In this context it is timely that an event of this magnitude is being hosted in Sri Lanka this year. It is even more fitting that this is the largest and the culminating event of 2009, which the government declared as the Year of English and IT. We are committed to bring English and IT, which were available only to a privileged few, to the rural citizens of our country. We are closer to achieving this aim since terrorism which destroyed the nation for three decades, has finally come to an end.
Benefits
My government and I believe that any development activity that we embark upon should ultimately offer benefits to the ordinary citizens of our country. People, should be the final benefactors of all development projects. The National Policy based development activities that we have commenced, are firmly rooted on this premise and the e-development agenda is no exception.

“My Government firmly believes that the benefits of any development activity should go to the ordinary masses. The people should be the real benefactors of these programs, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the eAsia 2009 exhibition at the BMICH yesterday (02). “
He said all development projects being implemented in the country are firmly rooted in this premise and eDevelopment programs being implemented in the country is no exception.
Stressing that children should be protected from the dangers in cyber space, he appealed to all Asian leaders to take precautions in this regard.
“Our children who are from a well cultured society should not be harmed,” the President stressed.
The President said the Government is in the process of formulating the next phase ICT Master Plan which will pave the way for the rural masses to receive the fruits of ICT development in the country.