ICTA denies cyberspace campaign and other allegations

ICTA Chairman, Prof P W Epasinghe has issued the following statement, on behalf of the Board of Directors of ICTA, as a response to various news items appearing in several newspapers (particularly in Wijeya Newspapers) seeking to wrongly connect ICTA with allegations, which would create a wrong perception about ICTA in the minds of the readers. ICTA is confident that you would avail it of the opportunity to state the following in your esteemed newspaper:

(1) Some newspapers gave publicity to an alleged corruption connected with the Korean Government-funded programme for the implementation of the Lanka Government Network under the e-Sri Lanka Project, naming a contracting party with which ICTA has never had any dealings. ICTA Board would welcome an inquiry into this allegation. An impartial inquiry would reveal that there was no corruption on the part of ICTA or the e-Sri Lanka project in connection with this matter:

(2) There was also an allegation connecting ICTA with cyberspace propaganda activities connected with the presidential election. The ICTA Board wishes to categorically state that as the apex ICT policy organisation and as the implementer of the multi-donor-funded e-Sri Lanka Development Programme, ICTA has never engaged in cyberspace propaganda activities in connection with the presidential election.

(3) ICTA wishes to point out that its ICT development activities and technology related functions, as well as finances, have been subject to regular internal and external audits by multiple sources and could categorically state that no emails or any other cyberspace propaganda activities, connected with the Presidential Election, have been conducted using ICTA facilities.

(4) ICTA consists of highly dedicated and professional staff who work beyond their call of duty for the development of ICT in Sri Lanka, resulting in several international accolades for many of its activities. For instance two of ICTA’s flagship initiatives, namely, Government Information Centre 1919 (GIC) and Impaired Aid received the prestigious United Nation World Summit Awards in 2009, resulting in Sri Lanka being the only country in the Asian Region to receive two awards at one event. Some of its projects also received the World Bank Innovation award in 2009.

(5) ICTA’s flagship e-Sri Lanka Projects covers a vast section of the economy and its impact is being realized across all sectors. This is manifested in the improvement in delivery of services in Government (eg: birth certificate digitisation,eRevenue Licenses, etc), whilst providing leadership for ICT legal reforms, capacity building in both the public and private sector, and empowering the rural community with over 600 Nenasalas (Tele-centres) as well as grants to develop ICT application to improve conditions of the economically marginalised.

(6) ICTA has also remained an apolitical organisation and the board has never interfered with the decisions of the leadership team in connection with its recruitment policies and day to day operations. Its management remains receptive to well balanced constructive criticism and willing to address issues concerning the implementation of its activities.

We are confident that you would give the above contents of this letter adequate prominence.

ICT Agency of Sri Lanka
On behalf of the ICTA Board of Directors
Prof. P W Epasinghe,
Acting Chairman