The Project for Digitization of the Eye Clinic at the Seeduwa Vijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Hospital was officially vested with the public on Thursday (04), under the patronage of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

According to the Ministry of Health, the initiative, launched under the Ministry’s direct supervision, aims to enhance efficiency and quality in national‑level eye care services. 

A financial donation of Rs. 3 million by hospital board member Neel Umagiliya enabled the installation of digital systems, following a six‑month pilot project that trained staff in practical applications.

The program introduces computerized management of patient data, medical records, clinical reports, and prescriptions, reducing long queues and ensuring faster, more effective treatment. Services such as cataract removal and diabetic retinopathy care are expected to benefit from improved accuracy and efficiency.

The project forms part of a broader national initiative, supported by the World Health Organization, to digitize Sri Lanka’s entire health system. 

During the launch, former President Kumaratunga inspected the progress of the Eye Clinic wards.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa stressed the government’s commitment to modernizing healthcare delivery. (Newswire)

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The United National Party (UNP) will mark a significant step in its digital transformation with a special launch event scheduled for Feb. 4, 2026, at its Sirikotha headquarters.

As part of the initiative, the party will formally appoint 1,000 Digital Wardens to cover electoral wards across Sri Lanka. The appointments mark the initial phase of a broader plan to streamline party operations and enhance public engagement through technology, UNP Deputy Secretary General Harin Fernando said.

The UNP will also introduce its new mobile platform, the UNP App, designed to facilitate communication among party members, organizers, and the public. The application will serve as a tool for information dissemination and connectivity

Additionally, the party headquarters will officially activate Starlink high-speed internet services during the event, aiming to bolster digital communication infrastructure, the party said in a statement.

The UNP said the effort reflects its commitment to building a people-focused and technology-driven political culture. (Newswire)

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The Urban Development Authority (UDA) officially launched a new Online Payment System at the Peliyagoda Manning Market today, marking a key milestone in the government’s push for digital transformation.

The launch took place under the patronage of Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, and Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara.

The system, accessible via the web portal fmis.uda.lk allows vendors and traders at the country’s largest wholesale trading hub to make tax and daily payments using their mobile phones.

Deputy Minister Weeraratne, addressing the event, highlighted the initiative as part of the National Digital Transformation Strategy. He said that the move to cashless transactions would save time, eliminate the need for queues, and enhance transparency and financial security in market operations.

As part of the launch, several Manning Market vendors demonstrated live transactions using the new digital platform.

Developed by the UDA’s Information Technology Division, the system is expected to be expanded to other economic centers islandwide, according to officials.

The event was attended by senior representatives from the Ministry of Digital Economy, Ministry of Transport, and the Urban Development Authority. (Newswire)

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A new digital card system will be introduced to supply fuel for vehicles belonging to government institutions, starting with a pilot project at the Presidential Secretariat.

The move aims to enhance transparency, reduce manual intervention, and enable efficient reimbursement through online banking systems, the government said.

The digital card system, developed by the Bank of Ceylon in collaboration with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, is expected to streamline fuel distribution for state-owned vehicles.

The proposal, submitted by the President, received Cabinet approval to launch the system for pool vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat.

Based on the outcome of the pilot phase, the system may be expanded to other government institutions in the future. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s judiciary took a step toward digitalisation on Tuesday as the Supreme Court launched a facility to accept case-related payments via debit and credit cards.

The system was inaugurated under the patronage of Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena at the Supreme Court premises in Colombo. 

It enables lawyers and the public to settle payments such as fines, case fees, stamp duties, and charges for certified copies through both card transactions and online platforms.

Officials said the move marks the initial phase of automating payments in the court system, with plans to extend the facility from magistrates’ courts to the Supreme Court.

The launch was attended by members of the Judicial Service Commission, Bar Association of Sri Lanka President Rajiv Amarasuriya, and court registrars.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry announced that a fast-track programme for digitising court services will formally commence on September 12, under the guidance of Chief Justice Surasena and with the participation of Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara at the Judicial Training Institute in Hulftsdorp. (Newswire)

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The government has announced a new initiative to issue copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates to Sri Lankans living abroad through Sri Lankan embassies, aimed at providing greater convenience to the expatriate community.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the program will be launched as a pilot project across seven selected foreign missions, including the embassies in Kuwait, Japan, and Qatar, and the consulates in Melbourne (Australia), Toronto (Canada), Milan (Italy), and Dubai (UAE).

In Sri Lanka, efforts are underway to enhance the e-BMD (electronic Birth, Marriage, and Death) database system, which is jointly managed by the Registrar General’s Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This will allow birth, marriage, and death certificates to be issued through foreign embassies, following a model already in place for obtaining certificates at Divisional Secretariat offices across Sri Lanka.

Under the initial phase, only approximately 45 million birth, marriage, and death certificates that have already been scanned and stored in the e-BMD system will be issued. 

These will include records for births, marriages, and deaths that have been registered since January 1, 1960. While the majority of these records will be available, there may be occasional delays in updating certificates that have been revised after their initial entry into the database. (Newswire)

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The process of distributing Digital National Identity Cards (NIC) in Sri Lanka will commence this year, Commissioner General of the Department for Registration of Persons, G. Pradeep Saputhanthri said. 

Speaking to the media, Saputhanthri said facial recognition and fingerprint data will be collected for this purpose.

Stating that the programme is expected to be launched by February this year, Saputhanthri said it will initially be rolled out in the Kurunegala and Kandy District Offices. 

The public will not be required to travel to Colombo for one-day service of NICs, as it will be introduced at the North-Western and Central Province offices, he said.

Saputhanthri further said that they intend to collect facial recognition and fingerprint data of the public for this purpose in June of this year. 

The Commissioner General of the Department for Registration of Persons added that the process will be carried out by all District Secretariat Offices. (NewsWire)

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The first digital birth certificate in Sri Lanka was issued today (Dec 05), the Ministry of Home Affairs announced. 

Issuing a statement, the Ministry said the digital birth certificate was issued under the patronage of State Minister of Home Affairs Ashoka Priyantha at the Kalutara District Secretariat.

Addressing the event, State Minister Ashoka Priyantha said that the digital birth certificate programme which was launched in Kalutara will be expanded to other areas soon. 

He further said that the number contained on the digital birth certificate will also be utilized as the National Identity Card (NIC) number as per international standards and practice. (NewsWire)

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China’s digital talent shortage is worsening as demand grows amid deepening economic restructuring, two recently released studies show.

Smart manufacturing sector job listings rose by about 54 per cent in 2022 from the previous year on zhaopin.com, a leading Chinese recruitment platform.

The supply shortage was worst in fields ranging from software engineering to electronics and automation, the company said in a report last week.

Read more: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3218923/chinas-digital-talent-gap-widening-amid-hi-tech-smart-sectors-push-reports-say

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