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National Foundation Day Celebration of Republic of Korea held in Colombo

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/16

On 5th October 2022, the Korean Embassy led by Korean Ambassador, Santhush Woonjin Jeong hosted the National Foundation Day Celebrations of the Republic of Korea, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. It is a monumental year to commemorate the 4354th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean nation, against the backdrop of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Sri Lanka celebrated this year, The National Foundation Day reception was celebrated with the participation of many Korean nationals, Sri Lankans and friends of Korea.

Among the dignitaries, the gracious presence of the Chief Guest, Minister of Education, Susil Premajantha, Speaker of the Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, Chief of Defence Staff, Attorney General, IGP, Governors, Secretaries, Ambassadors and diplomats further contributed to strengthening the bilateral cooperation of Korea and Sri Lanka. Members of the business community with ties to Korea, Sports and cultural dignitaries, Korean ODA directors and media organizations were also present at the event to felicitate this occasion. Korean residents including Um Kyung-Ho PUAC President also took part in the celebrations.

The Korean National Foundation day ‘Gaecheonjeol,’ marks the origin of the first Korean Nation by the legendary founding father Dangun in 2333 BCE on October 3rd of every year. It is a special occasion for Korean nationals living worldwide. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the National Foundation Day Reception was not held in the last two years. The grand celebration held this year on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations has served as an opportunity for the two Asian friends to develop the bilateral cooperation to new heights. The official ceremony started with the National Anthems of both Sri Lanka and Korea performed by the Sri Lankan Navy Band.

Delivering the opening remarks, Ambassador Jeong stated that, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all Korean nationals, Sri Lankans and friends of Korea in Sri Lanka for attending today’s event. It is my great honour to host this wonderful occasion after a hiatus of two years. The Republic of Korea was once known as an aid-recipient nation in the past. We started from nothing, from ruins, devastated by the Korean War. Today, Korea has risen to the 10th largest economy and the 7th biggest exporter in the world. This year we celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between our two countries. At this juncture, I remind you that the relations between our two countries have continued to evolve and develop in a whole spectrum of fields of mutual interest. Now is the time to realize the potential of this beautiful country and achieve our common goals together. It is an opportune moment for Korea and Sri Lanka to deepen and widen exchanges, learn from each other’s experiences and intensify mutually beneficial cooperation.”

Minister Premajantha congratulated Ambassador Jeong for the National Foundation Day of Korea. He stated, “Korea has emerged as a peaceful country with a vibrant democracy and a rich cultural heritage. We are proud as an Asian country to say that Korea has progressed in her journey as a developing country to a developed nation through the economic miracle, popularly known as ‘Miracle of Han River.’ Sri Lanka too wishes to draw from be guided and to emulate the economic miracle of the Republic of Korea, towards achieving our goal of socio-economic development. Korea has remained consistently as an invaluable development partner of Sri Lanka contributing to the development priorities of the Sri Lankan government especially in the fields of education, transportation, water management and rural development.” Hon. Minister further highlighted the Sri Lankan government’s initiative to adopt Korean language for advanced level classes and introduction of the Korean language for the university entrance examination from 2023. The Minister commended the paper donations by the Korean community in Sri Lanka to the Department of Examinations during the difficult times. Furthermore, the Minister expressed the deep appreciation to the government of Korea for providing much needed employment opportunities to Sri Lanka and looking after their welfare.

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Noritake Company Limited donates Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

Noritake Company Limited of Japan has donated Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme.

The cheque was presented to Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya by the Managing Director of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Kenji Obara, at the Parliament Complex on 18 December.

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne, Director and General Manager of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sujatha Egodagedara, and Assistant General Manager Captain M. M. Athula Rohan Senarath also participated in the event.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division].

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GovPay Concludes 2025 with Rs. 2 Billion in digital transactions, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation

Published

5 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

GovPay, Sri Lanka’s Government Digital Payment Platform concluded the year 2025 by surpassing Rs. 2 billion in total digital transaction value, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. Notably, GovPay doubled its collections from Rs. 1 billion to Rs. 2 billion in just 45 days, reflecting rapid adoption, growing public trust, and strong institutional uptake across the public sector.

Since its official launch on 07 February 2025, GovPay has processed over 69,000 digital transactions, enabling payments for 3,372 government services across 215 government institutions. This accelerated growth underscores the increasing reliance on secure, convenient, and transparent digital payment mechanisms by both citizens and government institutions.

Implemented under the strategic leadership of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) in collaboration with LankaPay, GovPay has emerged as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s national digital public infrastructure. The platform plays a critical role in advancing financial inclusion, improving service efficiency, and strengthening transparency in public service delivery.

A key milestone in 2025 was the launch of the Online Traffic Fine Payment System through GovPay on 10 April 2025. Since its introduction, the system has facilitated over 50,000 digital traffic fine payments, generating more than Rs. 66 million in revenue. The service is currently operational across the Western, Southern, Northern, North Western, and North Central Provinces, including the Southern, Katunayake, and Central Expressways. While the island wide rollout planned for December 2025 was postponed due to adverse weather conditions and disaster-related challenges, ICTA, in coordination with the Sri Lanka Police and with the support of LankaPay, has agreed to complete the nationwide rollout in January 2026, with a landmark launch in the Central Province.

GovPay has continued to expand its reach across local authorities, including Divisional Secretariats, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, significantly enhancing access to government services in citizens’ day-to-day activities. The platform has enabled digital transactions for all local authorities in the Northern Province and all Divisional Secretariats in the Southern Province, with a national target to digitize all local authorities by 2026.

Institutions such as Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Technical Education and Training, the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board emerged as some of the highest contributors to GovPay in 2025. Strong adoption by the education sector in particular highlights the readiness of younger generations to embrace digital transformation and demonstrates the platform’s scalability and reliability.

Beyond routine government services, GovPay also supported national disaster response efforts. Since 30 November 2025, the platform facilitated digital donations to the Rebuild Sri Lanka Disaster Relief Fund, collecting almost Rs. 14 million across 909 transactions, including contributions from Sri Lankans living abroad, ensuring transparency and ease of contribution during a national emergency.

As GovPay continues to grow, ICTA is working on revamping www.govpay.lk with enhanced features to support institutional onboarding, service management, and reporting capabilities. With Rs. 2 billion in digital collections achieved within its first year of operation and the last Rs. 1 billion reached in just 45 days, GovPay stands as a strong testament to the impact of coordinated digital transformation, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s vision of achieving a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030.

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Swift restoration of Religious, Cultural and Archaeological sites damaged by the disaster

Published

5 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

A discussion on the restoration of religious, cultural and archaeological sites affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held on Thursday (18) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, with the participation of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the three Chapters and other religious leaders.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister stated that more than one thousand religious, cultural and archaeological sites across the country had sustained damage due to the disaster. He assured that prompt measures would be taken to commence restoration work and reinstate these sites to their original condition without delay.

The Minister further stated that all restoration work is expected to be carried out while preserving the historical and cultural authenticity of the sites, under the guidance of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Prince Senadheera, noted that arrangements are currently underway to mobilize the required human resources and financial assistance for the restoration process. He also stated that steps have been initiated to recruit the necessary technical officers on a contractual basis to conduct technical assessments of the affected sites. In addition, plans are in place to involve officials of the Ministry as well as officers of its affiliated institutions in carrying out these restoration activities.

The Secretary to the Ministry further stated that generous financial contributions from donors are currently being received to the fund established under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for the reconstruction of damaged religious places of worship.

The meeting also considered continuing the gathering as an interfaith committee to oversee the restoration activities. Accordingly, it was agreed that the progress of construction work would be regularly reported to the committee and that the committee would be entrusted with mobilizing support for the fund in a transparent manner, including assistance from foreign donors, international organizations, Buddhist organizations and other religious institutions.

It was noted that the Central Cultural Fund has identified eight sites that were severely damaged by the disaster and are difficult to restore through conventional construction methods, requiring the specialized expertise of archaeologists, mural conservation specialists, and architects. The cost of restoring these sites has been estimated at over Rs. 500 million.

It was further decided that the committee would meet once a month to review and discuss the progress of these restoration activities.

Religious leaders commended the Government’s intervention in providing relief to those affected by the disaster and in restoring livelihoods, expressing appreciation for the effective management of the response. They also praised the Government’s prompt action in initiating restoration work at damaged religious sites.

The event was attended by several eminent religious leaders, including the Registrar of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Venerable Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Nayaka Thero; the Registrar General of the Amarapura Siri Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, Venerable Balapitiye Siri Seevali Nayaka Thero; the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, Venerable Attangane Sasanarathana Nayaka Thero; the Chief Secretary of the All-Ceylon Shasanarakshaka Board, Venerable Professor Mugunuwela Anuruddha Nayaka Thero; and the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, led by the Chairman of the National Bhikkhu Front, Venerable Wakamulle Uditha Thero.

Also in attendance were Hindu religious leaders, including Venerable Swami Aksharatmananda, representatives of the Catholic Church and the National Christian Council, including Father Alec Roy Samantha Fernando, All-Ceylon Muslim religious leaders, including the General Secretary of the Jamiatul Ulama Organization, Ash-Sheikh Arkam Nooramith, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Muneer , as well as senior officials of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and relevant line institutions.