COLOMBO ‒ The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $98 million loan to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to build an inclusive, secure, and resilient digital economy, enhance public service delivery, and strengthen the foundations for private sector-led growth.
The Advancing Digital Transformation Project will help expand high-quality broadband connectivity and improve government data infrastructure, while reinforcing institutional capacity for cybersecurity and data protection and enhancing digital skills across the public sector.
The project aims to boost digital inclusion and equity by expanding access to digital government services for citizens and businesses, particularly women and underserved communities.
ADB is providing an additional $1 million technical assistance grant from its Technical Assistance Special Fund to support program preparation, design, and capacity building for the executing and implementing agencies.
“Sri Lanka has made strong progress in stabilizing its economy and is now prioritizing digital transformation as a key driver of inclusive growth and productivity,” said ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka Shannon Cowlin.
“This project will help bridge connectivity gaps, improve the reliability and security of digital systems, and strengthen institutions to deliver better services to citizens and businesses.”
Despite high mobile coverage, access to reliable, high-speed broadband remains uneven, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Gaps in digital and data infrastructure, cybersecurity, data protection, and skills continue to constrain the delivery of efficient public services and limit private sector development.
The project will address these challenges through a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach aligned with the government’s National Digital Economy Blueprint.
The project will expand high-quality broadband connectivity in underserved areas; upgrade telecommunications infrastructure and boost services from 2G to 4G and 5G; and make government data systems more reliable, interoperable, and resilient through an enhanced Lanka Government Cloud 3.0.
It will bolster cybersecurity protection, including monitoring and incident response for government agencies deemed as critical national information infrastructure.
It will also improve digital skills to build institutional capacity by training public sector employees, with targeted support to increase women’s participation in the digital economy.
By strengthening digital infrastructure and institutions, the project is expected to improve access to essential services such as health, education, and administrative services, reduce transaction costs, and expand economic opportunities.
It will also enhance resilience by supporting secure, continuous digital systems that are critical to emergency response and service delivery.
-economynext.com
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