Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, I am pleased to participate in the Committee Stage debate on the allocations for the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

¶ 02 Digitalization is the foundation of the modern economy. It is crucial across all sectors for implementing a corruption-free public administration and providing better public services. In most developed countries, citizen services are fully digitized. Today, even banking transactions occur without seeing physical cash; the digital revolution made this possible. The digital mode is secure, fast, time-saving, economical, and enables clean administration. Some sectors in Sri Lanka are already digitized, but we must implement it gradually across all sectors. In this Government’s “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, digitalization is a key component. In Budget 2025, Rs. 21.8 billion has been allocated for digitalization – Rs. 7.1 billion to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Rs. 14.7 billion to other Ministries.

¶ 03 Allocations have been made for digitalization in health, education, transport, food security, environmental protection and social welfare. I wish to highlight priority areas:

¶ 04 - Local authorities’ revenue and property tax collection: By digitizing property valuation and revenue systems, local bodies can increase own-source income and fund local development sustainably. Rs. 0.05 billion is allocated for establishing local authority databases. However, many Pradeshiya Sabhas lack up-to-date valuations. More valuers should be deployed to complete assessments. Citizens should be able to pay taxes digitally, including via mobile, like banking.

¶ 05 - Land administration: This is one of the slowest public sectors; some land matters take 20–25 years, with people obtaining deeds after submitting death certificates of original owners. Prioritize digitizing land administration to expedite processes.

¶ 06 - Traffic fines and enforcement: High road fatalities are linked to poor compliance and weak enforcement. Fines are often at officers’ discretion, leading to bargaining and evasion. Install surveillance cameras at key points; implement digitally issued on-the-spot fines and, for repeat offenders, cancel licences. Presently, long-distance drivers whose licences are seized must travel back to retrieve them after payment, causing inconvenience. Digitization can fix this.

¶ 07 - Health records: Hospitals carry a heavy burden storing records for years, requiring space. If health information is digitized, this burden eases. Wasteful duplication is common: a patient may undergo expensive tests in Colombo and then, upon admission in Jaffna the next day, the same tests are repeated. With digital health records and unique patient numbers, clinicians can access prior results instantly, avoiding waste. Patients often move between hospitals; their records should follow them electronically. Digitalization is essential here.

¶ 08 - Education timelines: Students wait nearly a year for A/L results and then more than a year to enter university. Medical graduates may wait one to one-and-a-half years for internship. From O/L to graduation and employment, students idle for years. After A/L results, applications to universities take months to process. In India, when students request re-correction, scanned answer scripts and marking details are sent immediately by email or WhatsApp. We must reduce such delays through digitalization to build the economy efficiently.

¶ 09 Some criticize this Budget, but given our current economy, the key is how best we utilize resources without waste. This is the Government’s first Budget; we must move forward from here. Grand ideas abound, but after 75 years on a poor path, we cannot implement every idea at once. Digitalization is vital to use resources efficiently and reduce waste. I appreciate the Government’s prioritization.

¶ 10 On science and technology: To advance with the global order, scientific and technological knowledge is indispensable. Developed economies maintain high levels of S&T capacity. If our country improves in this field, economic growth will follow. Not all youth will obtain employment merely via school and university education; vocational education is essential. Recent training reforms and industry-linked practical exposure have improved outcomes.

¶ 11 This year, Rs. 6.05 billion is allocated for science and technology development. The Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission regulates vocational training. However, school-level awareness of tertiary and vocational pathways is low. We must raise awareness and emphasize practical, employable skills leading to NVQ certification. As the Hon. Minister noted, we must apply technology and science in agriculture, health and other sectors; simultaneously, digitalization will help deliver a secure, sustained, stepwise growth path. Thank you.