3 things ICTA needs to do before playing with balloons

Information and Communications Technology Agency Sri Lanka (ICTA) seems to have lost its purpose lately. A once pioneering initiative led by the late great Prof V K Samaranayake, has been losing its light gradually and failing to guide the development of ICT in Sri Lanka through visionary strategic direction. Their recent most propaganda on bringing Google’s Project Loon to Sri Lanka was a naïve, poorly planned single-handed attempt to win votes for the politicians who appointed ICTA’s current leadership. Perhaps the following points might help ICTA to get back on track and prioritise their strategic plans.

1. Bring PayPal to Sri Lanka

The single most frustrating thing for start-ups in Sri Lanka is that they don’t have PayPal. Without the world’s most used payment gateway, it is not possible for young entrepreneurs to sell in the global market. The available options such as banks and dodgy private gateways are too expensive, weak in UI/UX and is a hassle to setup. ICTA has been telling us they are working on it like for the past 10 years. If the apex body for developing ICT in our country can’t make this critical need fulfilled, then what’s the point of having such an agency funded by public money?

2. Embed ICT into School Education

ICT is not another subject anymore. (For better or worse) it is the backbone of the 21st century world we live in. From Smartphones to Big data to Electric cars to Internet-of-Things the world runs on ICT. We need to change how our students learn, and teachers teach by 'embedding' ICT into the core of our Education system. Going to a lab once or twice a week, and trying to learn the basics of computing using only 2 working PCs out of 10 is… (use any word you like). And you can’t keep selling unsustainable Nenasala’s anymore. Of course that requires a complete transformation of our Education system. Well that’s why we have publicly funded national agencies like ICTA, which should employ the brightest minds, thinking 20 years ahead, planning-well and bring about a disruptive change that will create a generation of Lankans equipped to take advantage of the future opportunities. No.. No... free Wi-Fi to use Facebook doesn’t really cut it.

3. Collaborate, NOT compete

ICTA sometimes think that they are in competition with others. SLASSCOM does something, ICTA has to do their own version. They are so self-centred and wants to do things by themselves. ICTA should start collaborating with their stakeholders. We are all on the same side, with the same end-goal in mind. Loon was a shocking surprise for the whole ICT fraternity in Sri Lanka. The ICT leaders in the country who have brilliant minds and years of experience were not consulted before announcing ICTA’s grand plan to send an experimental, questionable technology into our skies with stark public and private security risks. Work together with the ICT community in Sri Lanka. Build trust and connections. Unite all and give them a long-term vision for ICT in Sri Lanka. Don't do silly, patch-work to please politicians. 

Share your views and more IDEAS to ACTION by ICTA.

(The intention of this article is not to attack any individuals, but to provoke critical dialogue for transformation.)