Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said the government is committed to transforming Sri Lanka from a consumer of technology into a creator of innovation, with the ambition of expanding the digital economy to USD 15 billion by 2030.
She made these remarks while addressing the session on ‘Nation Building in the Digital Age’ at the 26th Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit (SLEIS) 2026 on Tuesday (13).
The two-day summit, held on 12 and 13 October, provided an opportunity for policymakers, business leaders, investors and other stakeholders to discuss the country’s economic prospects and investment opportunities.
Targets and public services
The Prime Minister said the Government also aimed to raise digital exports to USD 5 billion and to build a digital workforce of 200,000 professionals.
She underlined the importance of Digital Public Infrastructure in modernising government institutions and improving the delivery of public services.
She said the government had committed about Rs. 30 billion to foundational digital transformation initiatives through the institutional framework set up under the Ministry of Digital Economy.
She cited GovPay as proof of what digital platforms can achieve.
The system has processed more than Rs. 6 billion in payments and has connected over 300 organisations, she said, simplifying government transactions, improving transparency and easing administrative burdens on citizens and businesses.
Reshaping key sectors
The Prime Minister also outlined how digital technology could reshape healthcare, agriculture, energy and transport.
She noted that digital health systems and telemedicine could widen access to care, while data-driven farming could strengthen productivity and water management.
Smart grids and digital energy management would support the shift towards renewable energy.
Digital ticketing, real-time fleet tracking and intelligent traffic management, she added, could improve transport efficiency and reduce the daily difficulties faced by commuters.
Education and the workforce
The Prime Minister stressed that vocational and technical education must be recognised as an equally valuable pathway to employment and professional advancement.
She called for stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry, more opportunities for practical training and the adoption of flexible qualifications, including micro-credentials, to meet changing labour market demands.
Taking part in a panel discussion afterwards, she noted that technology offered significant opportunities to transform education, but said the process had to be managed carefully so that existing inequalities were not widened, and all students had equitable access.
She stressed the need to invest in digital infrastructure, expand technology-enabled learning and introduce modern curricula that respond to global demands.
The Prime Minister urged caution in bringing artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies into education, particularly because of their possible effects on critical thinking, reasoning and cognitive development.
She said a five-year plan had been developed with the Ministry of Digital Economy to strengthen digital readiness across the education system and ensure that more schools have the infrastructure needed to benefit from technological advances.
Citizen-centred transformation
The Prime Minister said technology alone could not eliminate inequality and that digital policies must remain citizen-centric.
She observed that the success of digital transformation should be judged not by the number of platforms built, but by whether public services, business operations and everyday life became more accessible, efficient and convenient for all citizens.
She also said that preparing the workforce for the future could not be achieved by the government alone.
She called for closer collaboration between the government, the private sector and industry, and encouraged businesses to support vocational education through industry placements, partnerships with training institutions and programmes that reflect real labour market needs.
The event was attended by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Krishantha Balendra, Ministry of Digital Economy Secretary Watuna Sri Dhanapala, government officials and industry representatives.