World Bank Group and Sri Lanka Partner to Improve Digital Services and Grow the Digital Economy

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a $50 million project to support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation. 

The project will promote innovation and investment in Sri Lanka’s digital sector, modernize government services, and make them easier to access and more responsive to the needs of people and businesses.

The Sri Lanka Digital Transformation Project will support practical, people-centric digital solutions, including an integrated online citizen service portal for government services, a secure system for sharing data across government agencies to improve efficiency and transparency, a digital locker for storing digital documents, and a government cloud platform that can be scaled as demand increases. 

These investments in Sri Lanka’s digital public infrastructure will be complemented by training programs to help citizens and public servants use these new digital services with confidence.

Beyond improving public services, the project will also help strengthen Sri Lanka’s technology and start-up sector. 

Through a digital-startup accelerator, the project will foster innovation, strengthen the local startup ecosystem, and encourage female entrepreneurship. 

Mid-sized technology firms will also benefit from targeted programs to help them reach customers and investors in international markets. These efforts are expected to attract around $10 million in private investment over time, supporting job creation and higher IT export earnings.