Visa outlines inclusion drive to strengthen Sri Lanka’s digital economy

VISA Sri Lanka Country Manager Avanthi Colombage yesterday said the company is deepening its role in supporting Sri Lanka's digital transformation through major global investments in cybersecurity, enforcement of data standards, and inclusion programs aimed at building trust in digital payments.

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She was speaking at the Asian Development Bank's Serendipity Knowledge Program on Digital Transformation: Cybersecurity and Data Protection for Digital Economy Development held in Colombo in partnership with the Department of National Planning of the Ministry of Finance.

Colombage said Sri Lanka's digital progress depends on both technological infrastructure and a shift in public trust toward online services.

"There is a need for the culture to change, for culture to adapt a sentiment towards protecting data," she said.

"But to build that trust and to build that culture, you need to have the infrastructure in place. Sri Lankans tend to trust the banking sector and the payment platforms available to them. But when it comes to government services, getting your ID or doing transactions with local authorities, people still prefer to go in person. They don't trust the online systems."