President promises digital access to all State services in Jaffna visit

PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Disanayake visiting Jaffna yesterday said that the public would soon be able to carry out all payments and transactions related to any State-sector institution via dedicated digital channels, in keeping with his Government’s pledge to improve services for all citizens.

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He said that digitalisation was a key program of the present Government that would decentralise all administrative functions of the State sector, which were previously confined to Colombo, to remote rural villages, thereby giving the people the opportunity to access Government services much more conveniently, according to a statement from the President's Media Division.

President Disanayake said this while participating in an event to open the Jaffna Regional Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration yesterday.

Until now, the people of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu had to travel a long distance to the Vavuniya Regional Office, the only regional office in the Northern Province, to obtain immigration and emigration services.

As the number of foreign passport applications from the Northern Province is increasing, this regional office was opened to fulfil the need for a more easily accessible location.

The issuance of three passports by the President symbolised the commencement of providing Department of Immigration and Emigration services to the people of Jaffna.

Subsequently, at a meeting with Jaffna district public officials held at the auditorium of the Jaffna District Secretariat, the President stated that in order to meet the expectations of the people, political authorities and public officials must work together.

The President emphasised that while the Government will do its utmost to protect public officials who use their authority for the welfare of the people, it will not hesitate to enforce the law against those who misuse that authority for monetary gain. He further stated that, at present, all public servants in the country have the opportunity to fulfil their duty to the nation. The President further pointed out that a strong public service is needed to build the country and behind the development of every developed country in the world, there is a strong public service.