Patali questions move to launch 500 more projects….

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Close on the heels of the recent revelation of massive waste, corruption and irregularities at the country’s apex ICT institution, the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), there has been a change at the helm of the institution.

The Parliamentary watchdog – COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) on Dec 08, 2020 exposed staggering losses amounting to over Rs 2.6 bn due to negligence, shortcomings and failure on the part of the ICTA. ICTA bosses had been present at the meeting along with representatives from the Auditor General’s Department.

The COPE under the leadership of SLPP (Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna) National List lawmaker Prof. Charitha Herath dealt with projects that had been carried out since 2013. The 31-member COPE found fault with projects undertaken during the 2010-2015 Rajapaksa administration and also 2015-2020 yahapalana period.

The Communications Department of the Parliament confirmed the COPE inquiry conducted two days before the end of parliamentary session for the year.

ICTA has been authorized to implement the government’s policies and action plans in relation to ICT.

Prof. Lalith Gamage, who has been a member of the ICTA board yesterday (1), succeeded Jayantha de Silva whereas the latter received appointment as Secretary to the newly created Technology Ministry.

The current ICTA board consists of Prof. Lalith Gamage, Reshan Dewapura, the Chief Executive Officer at GSS International (Pvt) Ltd, Vimukthi Janadara, Director General, Information Technology Management Department, Oshada Senanayake, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Kushan S. Kodituwakku, Managing director of Orel Corporation, Mano Sekaram, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Co-Founder of 99X Technology Ltd and Madu Ratnayake, Group CIO and the Center Head for Virtusa Sri Lanka.

The COPE session that inquired into ICTA comprised Prof. Herath, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, State Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Indika Anuruddha and Members of Parliament Eran Wickramaratne, Jagath Pushpakumara, Premnath C. Dolawaththa, S. M. Marikkar, Patali Champika Ranawaka and Shanakiya Rasamanickam. Out of its31 members, only ten attended the session.

The COPE is empowered to report to Parliament on accounts examined, budgets and estimates, financial procedures, performance and management of Corporations and other Government Business Undertakings.

COPE sources said that the most of the projects examined had been carried out before Jayantha de Silva a former CEO and President of IFS Sri Lanka took over the apex body on Dec 19, 2019, just three days after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as the President.

Prior to the appointment of Jayantha de Silva it was chaired by Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, also a former CEO and President of IFS Sri Lanka. Prof. Samarajiva received the appointment in April 2018. Samarajiva succeeded Chitranganie Mubarak, who had been the first ICTA head under Yahapalana administration.

The ICTA board appointed immediately after the Nov 2019 presidential election consisted of Jayantha de Silva, 99X Technology CEO Mano Sekaram; founder of WSO2 Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana; CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Prof. Lalith Gamage; former ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura; SAP India Country Sales Manager Manori Unambuwe and former Digital Secretary and ICTA Programme Director Wasantha Deshapriya.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe led UNF Government established ICTA in terms of the Information and Communication Technology Act No. 27 of 2003, (ICT Act), was subsequently amended by the UPFA by Act No. 33 of 2008.

According to the Communications Department, a high profile ‘e-Pensions’ project launched in late Oct 2010 had been abandoned on Nov 1, 2013 after spending a staggering Rs 510 mn. At the time of the launch of the project involving ministries of Public Administration and Home Affairs, ICTA had been under the Presidential Secretariat

The then ICTA Chairman Professor P.W. Epasinghe is on record as having said that under the project the whole procedure – from computation to the payment of pension – would be changed for the benefit of the pensioner.

The abandoned project was meant to develop the required hardware and software for its implementation in the Western Province covering the District Secretariat, the Armed Forces, the Department of Prisons, the Department of Railways and the Department of Civil Defense.

The COPE asserted that ICTA performances in respect of other failed developments, too, could be compared with the disastrous ‘e-Pension’ project.

The COPE also examined Google Loon project officially announced in June 2013 but finalized in late July 2015, too had been abandoned after spending Rs 1,851, 322 mn to clear Google Loon equipment from the Customs, in addition to Rs 64 mn spent on project promotions.

COPE also revealed that another high profile project called ‘Lanka Government Network’ or LGN launched in Nov 2016 by then Minister Harin Fernando amidst much fanfare to provide internet services countrywide, too, failed to achieve desired results with the progress asserted at just 17 per cent. Of Rs 850.47 mn approved for the project, Rs 148.33 mn had been spent, the COPE bared while categorizing LGN, too, as a failed initiative.

Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) lawmaker Patali Champika Ranawakaka, who had been present at the COPE meeting questioned ICTA officials why the launch of 500 projects was contemplated against the backdrop of such losses.

Funds amounting to Rs 32.5 mn allocated for ‘e-NIPO’ (project undertaken for the National Intellectual Property Office) had been utilized by the I.C.T.A to pay salaries of its officials.

The Island

in a front-page report titled ‘Sheer negligence on the part of the Treasury, Parliament revealed’ carried on Dec 14th edition, pointed out how some employees received monthly salaries in the range of Rs 755,000 to Rs 245,000 outside public sector salary scales though they were paid by the taxpayers’ money.

The COPE also found fault with ICTA for not including Rs 39 mn spent on ‘e-Local Authorities’ yahapalana project in the performance reports.

The COPE also made the shocking revelation that a 2017 Corporate Plan that had been prepared at the cost of Rs. 2,737,000 mn was thrown away without seeking approval from the board. One of the challenges faced by the new Chairman is to conduct an internal inquiry as regards preparation of Corporate Plans beginning 2003-2019.

The COPE is also under fire for the recruitment of management level workers on contract basis to senior positions.