Friday Apr 10, 2026
Friday Apr 10, 2026
Thursday, 9 April 2026 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Minister Vijitha Herath
The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a Rs. 563 million project to establish a centralised digital marketplace for Government technology procurement, aimed at addressing inefficiencies and fragmentation in the current system.
The initiative, proposed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Digital Economy Minister, will be implemented in three phases from 2026 to 2027 under the Digital Transformation Program – Phase 1.
The project will develop and deploy a GovTech App/Service Marketplace built on Digital Public Infrastructure, creating a one-stop platform for Government institutions to source digital products and services.
Announcing the decision at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, Minister Vijitha Herath noted that the absence of a centralised and transparent marketplace has led to a fragmented procurement process, with individual Government agencies independently sourcing technology solutions, often resulting in duplication, inefficiencies and inconsistent standards.
He said the new platform is expected to introduce a merit-based selection system for digital solutions, ensuring improved quality, transparency and value for money in public sector technology investments.
A key objective of the initiative is to broaden supplier participation by reducing entry barriers, enabling a wider pool of vendors, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to compete for Government contracts.
By consolidating demand through a single platform, the marketplace will allow public institutions to compare and procure cost-effective, high-quality solutions more efficiently.
The GovTech marketplace forms part of the Government’s broader digitalisation agenda, which prioritises the development of Digital Public Infrastructure to enhance service delivery and improve operational efficiency across the public sector.
