President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to accelerate digital transformation initiatives, with the first digital identity cards scheduled for issuance by the end of 2026 and all vehicle fine payments transitioning to an online-only system from September.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a progress review meeting at the Presidential Secretariat to assess ongoing digital economy projects as part of the Government's broader initiative to increase the sector's value to US$30 billion by 2030. During the meeting, officials confirmed that the necessary arrangements for issuing digital identity cards are underway, with the first cards expected to be distributed by year-end.
The Government has also completed infrastructure preparations to transition all vehicle fine payments nationwide to an exclusively online processing system beginning in September. This move is part of the broader GovPay programme, designed to streamline financial transactions between citizens and Government institutions through digital channels.
The review encompassed multiple initiatives under the Ministry of Digital Economy's purview, including television digitisation efforts, the National Super App project to enhance public service accessibility, and the National QR Drive initiative aimed at reducing cash transactions. Additional programmes discussed included the Number Portability project, which will allow mobile users to change networks while retaining their phone numbers, and the National Data Exchange system that facilitates secure information sharing among Government agencies.
President Dissanayake instructed officials to strengthen the Information Technology Service as an all-island resource capable of meaningfully supporting the Government's digital transformation agenda. The meeting also addressed the establishment of GovTech infrastructure, staff recruitment efforts, and the GovTech Academy's training programmes designed to build digital skills across public sectors.
