Agile outcome-based procurement vital for digital economy growth: Dr. Hans

A fundamental shift from traditional, process-heavy public procurement to an agile, outcome-based model is paramount to accelerating Sri Lanka's digital economy, according to Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya.

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

Dr. Wijayasuriya identified the current procurement system as a “major cause of failure” hindering the nation’s technological advancement.

“In the government sector, traditional procedures and multiple rounds of objections mean it can take a year to procure an IT system, by which time the technology has moved on and the problem has changed as well,” Dr. Wijayasuriya said, while speaking at the Annual Business Forum of the Sri Lanka America Society in Colombo this week.

He argued that this antiquated approach stifles innovation and prevents the public sector from leveraging cutting-edge solutions.

Sri Lanka's digital economy currently constitutes a mere 3-4 percent of its total economy, approximately US$ 3 to US$ 4 billion. The government has set an ambitious target to quintuple this figure to 15 percent, or around US$ 15 billion, within the next five years.

To achieve this transformative growth, Dr. Wijayasuriya emphasised the need for a radical change in mindset and processes.

The proposed solution is a move towards outcome-based procurement.