Former State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath has announced he will not contest the upcoming General Election, stating that he has decided to step back at this juncture as it was evident the people wanted change.

Announcing his decision via a statement, former MP Kanaka Herath said he was happy to have been part of the economic resurgence of Sri Lanka. 

“As the State Minister of Technology, I was able to formulate the digital roadmap for the country till 2030. We have already executed this plan and continuing this will enable building the digital public infrastructure which will help the country eliminate waste, and corruption, and build efficient government services,” he said. 

Stating his intention not to contest the Parliamentary Election, Kanaka Herath said, instead, he intends to pursue his engineering career by completing his PhD at the University of Moratuwa and spending some quality time with his family. 

“I will continue to represent the people of my district and stand with the political ideology I believe in,” he added. (Newswire)

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed his intention to implement recommendations from the commission report led by former Chief Justice Priyasad Depp on digitizing Sri Lanka’s election system.

Speaking at an IT professionals’ meeting on Thursday (Aug 22), the President indicated that the new digital election system might be piloted in the upcoming local government elections.

Also addressing the event, State Minister for Technology Kanaka Herath said the government needs the continued support of the IT Industry to ensure that the development of the industry continues.

State Minister Kanaka Herath further said that the government’s digital strategy has already been copied by the National People’s Power (NPP).

He pointed out that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) digital policy is a direct reproduction of India’s “Stack”. 

“The encouraging point is that the other parties are trying to follow in the footsteps of the President’s vision. This is a good sign for the country and I hope they will read the full Act and support it when we present it to Parliament shortly,” the State Minister added. 

Full statement: 

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The original 2024 launch time for introducing the mobile number portability facility in Sri Lanka is likely to face delays due to the technical selection process, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath said. 

According to The Morning newspaper, State Minister Kanaka Herath said the original target for introducing number portability was by the end of 2024.

He said, however, delays in the operator consortium’s, Lanka Number Portability Services (Guarantee) Ltd. (LPNS), technical solution selection process might make meeting this deadline challenging.

The State Minister further revealed that the operator consortium is nearing the final stages of selecting a technical solution and with financial evaluations, it is expected to be completed by the end of August. 

The operator consortium, established to introduce the number portability facility, will not include the ministry and TRCSL as members, but will see the entities acting as regulators overseeing the implementation and operation of number portability, he added. 

On the legal framework for introducing number portability, he said the legal framework was in place with the enactment of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Act No.39 of 2024.

He explained that this Act empowers the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka to implement the number portability facility.

State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath also revealed that the TRCSL had already prepared the necessary guidelines and rules for the implementation of the mobile number portability facility in Sri Lanka.

He further said that the necessary guidelines were currently awaiting final approval from the Attorney General’s Department.

In August 2020, the TRCSL took preliminary measures to introduce the number portability service to Sri Lanka, a service that enables consumers to switch to service providers of their choice without having to change their existing numbers. 

The company named ‘Lanka Portability’ was formed to include all telecommunication companies and TRCSL approval for mobile number portability was granted in October 2021.

The TRCSL also laid the framework for implementing number portability and full portability, which includes fixed services, in Sri Lanka in 2022, while in 2023 it also announced legal clearance for telecommunication service providers to implement number portability in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath has extended his support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.

Issuing a statement, State Minister Kanaka Herath expressed confidence that a nation with a forward-thinking leader such as President Wickremesinghe can be transferred in less than 10 years. 

He went on to note that at a time when the country was facing economic and constitutional crises, only President Wickremesinghe stepped up, accepting the massive challenge of restoring democracy and securing the lives of everyone in the country.

“As politicians, we must stand with our people and give the right guidance and leadership to the country. In 2005, we worked hard to bring Mahinda Rajapakse to power, where we foresaw the need for a leader who took a stance to finish the war. Similarly, I see the need to continue the good work we as the country have put in during the past two years. The benefits of the sacrifices we made as a country need to be reaped by all citizens,” he said. 

State Minister Kanaka Herath further said President Ranil Wickramasinghe gave hope to a hopeless country, and in just two years, Sri Lanka was back on track. “Simply because of these reasons, I have come forward to support President Ranil Wickramasinghe in this upcoming election,” he added.

The full statement of State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath;

In 2022, following months of escalating protests, Sri Lanka faced its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The people of the country endured 12-13 hour power cuts and long queues for petrol and other essentials. 

The economy had completely crashed, and the general public was distressed. Their anger reached a boiling point, whilst the country descended into lawlessness. Democracy was at stake, and government systems were put at risk. 

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was desperately seeking a prime minister to restore order. The so-called heroes who now preach about saving the country and bringing prosperity were nowhere to be found. 

Only one man stepped up, accepting the massive challenge of restoring democracy and securing the lives of everyone in the country.  In 2023, Sri Lanka achieved a notable turnaround in its primary balance, recording a surplus of 0.6% of GDP, compared to a deficit of 3.7% in 2022. Government revenue is forecasted to increase from 8.2% of GDP in 2022 to 15.0% by 2025. This increase has been enabled by a broad-based rise in revenue from direct and indirect taxes, despite the significant hardships it imposed on individuals and businesses. After years of failure, finally, digitization is on track with Digiecon 2030, a 7-year plan for digitization. 

As politicians, we must stand with our people and give the right guidance and leadership to the country. In 2005, we worked hard to bring Mahinda Rajapakse to power, where we foresaw the need for a leader who took a stance to finish the war. Similarly, I see the need to continue the good work we as the country have put in during the past two years. The benefits of the sacrifices we made as a country need to be reaped by all citizens. Now we have moved out of subsidy culture, and institutions such as CEB, Sri Lankan, CPC, etc, are running on their own. 

We have a lot more reforms to be done, and as the place where we create the laws, we have passed almost 100 acts during the past two years. As parliamentarians, we are extremely happy to be a part of these legislative changes as a country’s change should start with legislative reforms and modernization. 

This was all a possibility because of His Excellency Ranil Wickramasinghe’s Vision. He gave hope to a hopeless country, and in just two years, we are back on track. Simply because of these reasons, I have come forward to support President Ranil Wickramasinghe in this upcoming election. I am sure a nation with a forward-thinking leader such as our president can be transferred in less than 10 years, and we should all get together to make this change happen. (Newswire)

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A Sri Lankan delegation has engaged in discussions with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to discuss the establishment of a branch campus in Sri Lanka.

According to the Office of Global Engagement IIT Madras, the Sri Lankan delegation was led by the State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath.

The delegation accompanied by Dr. D. Venkateshwaran, the Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka engaged in the discussion last week (Feb 05).

The Sri Lankan delegation engaged in fruitful discussions with key figures at IIT Madras, including Director Prof. Kamakoti Veezhinathan and Dean of Global Engagement Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy. 

They also toured the Centre for Innovation to learn firsthand about its cutting-edge research and development facilities. 

The Sri Lankan delegation also met Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Head of the Research Park at IIT Madras, during their visit. 

The Office of Global Engagement IIT Madras said the Sri Lankan delegation’s visit to the IIT Madras campus provided a first-hand understanding of the institute’s infrastructure, research capabilities, and educational excellence. (NewsWire)

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Minister of State for Technology, Kanaka Herath, inaugurated the Global Entrepreneurship Week, where he requested the departing youth and entrepreneurs to actively contribute to the nation’s economic development, aligning with the objectives of the DIGIECON 2030 initiative.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), highlighting the Digi-Econ program, Minister Herath emphasized ongoing efforts to cultivate a digital economy by fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurial endeavours.

Minister Kanaka Herath conveyed these sentiments during the official launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, a global celebration spanning over 200 countries under the theme “Entrepreneurs Thrive Here” from November 13 onwards.

Throughout the week, diverse activities, including conferences, seminars, workshops and discussions, have been orchestrated across the nation in sectors such as entrepreneurship, innovation, start-ups, business economic systems, education, digital interaction, and policies. These events aim to evaluate and empower innovative entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration among local entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and industry experts.

During the Global Entrepreneurship Week, over 60 partners in Sri Lanka registered more than 100 distinct operations.

Minister Kanaka Herath, expanding on the significance of the event, shared insights on the start-up ecosystem in the country. According to the Start-up Genome report, the current value stands at approximately 244 million US dollars, with a targeted increase of one billion. He emphasized the transformative impact of technology on daily life, prompting a shift in consumer behaviours and economic transactions.

Envisioning a more favourable entrepreneurial landscape, Minister Kanaka Herath reiterated the Digi-Econ program’s central objective — to establish a robust digital economy within the country. The program’s outreach, extending to district levels through the Ministry of Industry, invites young professionals and departing entrepreneurs to partake in this initiative for the greater economic strength of the nation.

“The landscape of technology in our country has undergone a transformative shift, courtesy of innovative entrepreneurship. This evolution is palpable in our daily lives, influencing how we procure goods, settle bills, facilitate transportation, and conduct banking transactions. The ubiquitous integration of a myriad of applications on smartphones exemplifies the widespread impact of entrepreneurial innovation on our technological ecosystem.

“We aspire to cultivate a more conducive environment for our entrepreneurs through the implementation of the Digi-Econ program. The primary aim of this initiative is to systematically construct a robust digital economy within our nation.

“Notably, the program is being disseminated at the district level in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry. We extend an earnest invitation to the young professionals and entrepreneurs currently leaving the country due to brain drain to actively engage in and contribute to this program. By joining forces, we believe you can fulfil a pivotal role in fortifying our country’s economic foundation,” he said.

Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to nurturing the youth, particularly those of Generation Z, through initiatives focused on the development of small and medium-scale industries. The goal is to elevate the contribution of women and youth enterprises to 25% of the country’s economy by 2030.

The event saw the participation of notable figures such as Suresh De Mal, National Ambassador of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Mahesha Amarasuriya, Director of Mastercard Sri Lanka, and Sachindra Samararatne, Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), along with the Deputy Chief Digital Economy Officer of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka. Their presence underscored the collaborative commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. (NewsWire)

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