A $50 million World Bank-backed push aims to reshape Sri Lanka’s digital future by modernising government services, improving transparency, and bringing faster, smarter public services closer to citizens and businesses.
The World Bank has approved a $50 million project designed to accelerate Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, with a strong focus on innovation, investment, and the modernisation of public services.
In a statement, the World Bank Group said the primary objective of the project is to modernise government services and make them more accessible, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the public. The initiative is expected to play a key role in improving how citizens and businesses interact with the state through digital platforms.
According to the World Bank, strengthening the digital sector in Sri Lanka will help meet the growing demands of individuals, entrepreneurs, and private enterprises, while also supporting economic growth and digital inclusion. The project is positioned as a critical step in building a more connected and technology-driven public sector.
The Sri Lanka Digital Transformation Project will support the development of central digital solutions that streamline service delivery across government institutions. These include a unified online citizen services portal that allows the public to access multiple government services from a single platform, reducing delays and bureaucratic barriers.
The project will also introduce a secure system for sharing data across government agencies, aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and coordination. In addition, a digital window for storing official documents will be developed, enabling safer and more reliable access to records.
The World Bank noted that the digital infrastructure created under the project will be scalable, allowing it to expand as demand grows and new services are introduced. This approach is expected to strengthen governance, improve service quality, and support Sri Lanka’s long-term digital economy goals.
As Sri Lanka continues its push toward digital governance and public sector reform, the project signals international confidence in the country’s digital transformation agenda.
