FITIS to promote ICTs for inclusive growth

The Federation of Information Technology Industry in Sri Lanka (FITIS), the apex body that plays a pivotal role in the development of ICT industry in Sri Lanka, appointed Dr. Kithsiri Manchanayake as its new Chairman at the Executive Council meeting held on recently 2017 at Hilton Colombo Residences.

Expressing his thanks to the members of FITIS for their endorsement and trust, Dr. Manchanayake said he will look to carry on the good work of his predecessor, Wasantha Weerakoon, while bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas to complement existing initiatives and strategies of FITIS.

“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead FITIS,” said Dr. Manchanayake and added that he wishes “to thank Mr. Weerakoon for the strong foundation he has left behind.” He promised to continue building on the good work achieved thus far. 

“Certainly, we will continue playing an active role as the voice of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry. Given the dynamic, rapidly evolving technological environment permeating all sectors, including where the battle against poverty is waged, there is plenty to cover and FITIS will hit the ground running,” said Dr. Manchanayake. 

Key to its efforts would be continued dialogue and partnership with key stakeholders that include the Government, industry, and users, with a view to harnessing the potential of ICT for promoting and supporting inclusive growth.

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is considered the conveyor belt of globalisation and have tremendous influence on the functioning of global and national economies. 

“The role that ICT plays is for the benefit and betterment of our citizens. They help find innovative solutions to address the daily challenges we face; poverty, unemployment, lack of access to quality education and health care, and climate change, to name but a few. We look to bring new ideas to the table in this regard and also continue to push the Federation’s existing causes. We are conscious that unless Sri Lanka comes to grips with the challenges of ICTs, we may be left behind in the ICT revolution,” said Dr. Manchanayake.

FITIS recognises that although the ICT revolution is well under way in some parts of the country, many of those who stand to gain from it are not yet connected. While certain segments of the population are benefitting from ICTs, many are left behind because of their age, limited digital literacy, lack of access, or remoteness. Dr. Manchanayake emphasises that in order to better leverage ICTs for development, a higher level of preparedness and better infrastructure accesses are needed. 

“In this context, Government leadership and vision are critical. ICTs have the potential of opening up new digital divides. In the absence of corrective mechanisms, ICTs could indeed contribute to a non-inclusive type of growth, thus exacerbating the problem rather than mitigating it,” he stressed. However, if harnessed properly, ICTs can create economic opportunities and foster social and political inclusion, ultimately contributing to shared prosperity. FITIS, under the leadership of Dr. Manchanayake, is also keen to move the debate away from the issue of merely ensuring access, to the question of how to make the best use of ICTs to improve business innovation, governance, citizens’ political participation, and social cohesion. He is concerned the skills required to leverage ICTs remain woefully inadequate in all sectors, to include the Government apparatus, private sector organisations, and educational institutions. “We cannot underestimate the pivotal role ICTs play in enhancing competitiveness, enabling development, and bringing progress to all levels of society,” insisted Dr. Manchanayake.

Dr. Manchanayake is a founder member of FITIS and has served as its Vice Chairman. He is the Chairman of the AIMS Group of Companies serving different sectors of the IT industry in Sri Lanka. He received his undergraduate degree in BSc (Information Technology) from the University of Colombo and received his MBA from University of Wales, UK. He completed his doctoral work at Temple University, Denver, Colorado. Dr. Kithsiri Manchanayake holds the FACSM and FIIM professional designation with UK professional bodies and is also a member of the Australian Computer Society, British Computer Society, and Sri Lanka Computer Society.

Dr. Manchanayake has served numerous local and international organisations and has served as an expert witness and a consultant to the Government many public and private sector organisations. He is a keen entrepreneur and his name is synonymous with quality, but affordable education. He has demonstrated strong commitment to the development of education by pioneering the establishment of educational institutions in urban and rural Sri Lanka, thus contributing to the growth of the private education sector in the country.

Since 1992, Dr. Manchanayake has been a part of many missions and delegations to USA, Europe and Asian countries to promote IT and communication infrastructure related business opportunities. He serves as the Vice Chairman of ASOCIO (Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation), a group of IT industry associations from economies in the Asia and Oceania regions.