GIC (1919) got 1.5 million calls in 2012

Monday, 7 January 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Close up on 1.5 million calls were received at the Government Information Centre (1919) last year. Most of these calls were from the Western Province.

From the point of view of institutions about which calls were received, the Railway Department, Registration of Person Department, Motor Traffic Department, and the Sri Lanka Police Department top the list.

Last year about 350,000 persons accessed the official Government Information Centre website and out of these more than 1,000 persons had lodged complaints.

Recalling the launch of the GIC project in 2005 and the progress it has made since then, ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura said: “The GIC (1919) is a flagship project initiated by Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga for implementing the concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the computer should be brought to the village. From the time the mantle of ICT 4 development fell on the President, the President’s guidance had always stressed that what was then the prerogative of the city should also be available to the remotest village.

Inter alia, the President has always urged that Government service should be carried out for the convenience of the beneficiary in every respect and In order to implement this policy, during the past several years, the Government endeavoured to re-engineer the services of the Government sector for the convenience and comfort of the people of this country by the optimum use of information technology, he noted.

Dewapura asserted that without any doubt, the Government Information Centre (1919) can be considered as a successful outcome of that endeavour.

He went on to say that this creative information technology project of the Government sector that has received both national and international awards has been able to bestow a number of benefits on the Government as well as the public, adding that the Government Information Centre (1919) has been acclaimed as the world’s best innovative ICT Government project.

“While providing a speedy and systematic solution for the people’s information needs, the Government Information Centre (1919) has been greatly helpful in ensuring that Government service is efficient, organised and courteous. The 1919 team is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. all 365 days. This is a classic example of the vision of the Government of building a one united nation. All Sri Lankans can access this service, even in major festival seasons,” he pointed out.

Apart from 1919, expats also can obtain this service by dialling 0094 114 707070.