ICTA’s Lanka Gate e-services project for better public service

Public service is poised to get a shot in the arm making it  greatly people-friendly soon due  to a project initiated by   the ICT  Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) recently.  

As one of the latest phases of the e-Services initiative  ‘the Lanka Gate e-Services Project’ of ICTA, aims at better public service by developing selected online services at several Government institutions.   

 “The main objective of the  project is to deliver e-Services to the general public through a common portal via service portlets, adopting a Virtual Business Transformational approach” ICTA Re-engineering Government Progamme Director Wasantha Deshapriya said giving an insight into  the   modus operandi of  the project.

Placing the project in its true perspective Deshapriya said: “The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka  which facilitates this project was established to develop and enrich the economy of Sri Lanka through information and communication technologies. Over the years, ICTA, through the pioneering e-Sri Lanka Project, has spearheaded many initiatives to enhance the ICT sector in Sri Lanka”.

The  initial phase of this e-Services project will consist in the enabling of e-Services for institutions including  the Department of Labour, Department of Motor Traffic and the National Transport Medical Institute as well as for Department of Immigration  and Emigration, Department of Examinations, National Water Supply and Drainage Board and Foreign Employment Bureau, Department of Railways, Department of Wildlife, Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration, Sri Lanka Tourist Board and the Tea Small Holding Development Authority. Among other institutions lined up for commencing enabling of e-services under this project are the Urban Development Authority, the Election Secretariat  and the Sri Lanka Standards Institution.

The Department of Labour intends to make available comprehensive citizen services related to EPF providing the working public with easy around-the-clock access to EPF related information such as account balance details and refund status details. The services to be provided by the Department of Motor Traffic will assist the general public to view vehicle information available in the Certificate of Registration (CR) often referred to as the ‘vehicle book’ and reserve a vehicle number (within three series ahead) of their choice online eliminating the need to wait in long queues. Most of these services include secure online payment as well.

The National Transport Medical Institute, the authoring body for issuing medical certificates for heavy vehicle drivers will provide online facilities to applicants enabling them to register online for medical checkups at a time convenient to them. This service is simple, easy and rids the heavy vehicle driver of the hassle of spending long hours at the institute premises for proceeding with his application  for obtaining  the medical certificate.