The much awaited and long overdue bill to amend the Telecommunications Regulatory Act after 28 years will be presented to the Parliament State Minister for Technology, Kanaka Herath said yesterday.
Additionally, he highlighted plans for the drafting of the National Cyber Security Act in May. He also disclosed that In furtherance of boosting the tourism sector, Rs.750 million has been allocated for the development of the Pinnawala and Kithulgala tourism corridor. The State Minister made these observations during a press conference conducted yesterday (09) at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) under the theme “Collective Path to a Stable Country.”
“The cabinet approval has endorsed the National Digital Strategy 2030, featuring six key points. Among these, the initial focus is on infrastructure, connectivity, access, skills, literacy, industries, jobs, and establishing a connected digital government.”
“Moreover, emphasis is placed on cyber security, data security, privacy, digital financial services, and the digitization of small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, a global project promotion conference, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Investment Promotion, is scheduled to be held on June 25.
“Additionally, we have worked on the provision of 1,000 user-friendly classrooms for schools. Before the end of this year, arrangements are underway to extend this provision to another 500 schools. Efforts are also directed towards creating job opportunities for non-IT graduates and holders of NVQ level 4 qualifications.”
Moreover, after a period of 28 years, the amended bill for amending the Telecommunications Regulatory Act will be presented to Parliament tomorrow (10). Previously, regulations concerning undersea cables were non-existent. Now, legislation addressing this matter has become feasible.
The user base across all social networks has surged from 60 million to 74 million. However, there is an imperative for a National Cyber Security Act. Consequently, plans are underway to draft the pertinent legislation by May 2024.
Additionally, collaborative efforts involving 29 government agencies, alongside Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL CERT), have been undertaken to strengthen cyber security, resulting in the implementation of five projects.
