SL speeds up digital drive with GovPay expansion

THE Government yesterday said it is ramping up efforts to drive digital transformation in the public service, with plans to onboard over 150 State organisations onto the GovPay platform by September 2025.

- BY CHARUMINI DE SILVA

The move, spearheaded by the Digital Economy Ministry and Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), comes as the platform got on board 52 institutions and crossed Rs. 65.62 million in digital payments via 7,024 seamless transactions since its launch on 7 February 2025.

Speaking to the media, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne underscored that digitalisation is a top priority of the Government, with digital payments at its core. "A cashless society is a key milestone we intend to achieve," he said, adding that digitising Government services is not only about technological advancement, but also about ensuring efficiency, transparency, and economic empowerment.

"By digitising payments, we are making public services more accessible, while empowering citizens to actively participate in the economy," Weeraratne said.

He highlighted that digital payments and its records help build credit scores, facilitating access to microcredit for startups and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which is an impor tant step towards financial inclusion.

Chief Adviser to the President on Digital Economy and ICTA Chairperson Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said GovPay forms a key part of the Digital Economy Blueprint, which includes robust infrastructure layers such as broadband, cloud computing, and digital public infrastructure (DPI).