Innovation in the Service Sector

To achieve the goals of integrated development, the entire political system, including the public service, will be adapted to international standards and will be modernised in a manner suitable for the 21st century.

e-Governance

The easiest and fastest way to implement many different interrelated sectors is to connect them using an electronic system. It will provide facilities for real-time information exchange between government institutions in digital mode.

For that, modern and incorruptible software with international security standards will be developed and installed to cover the entire public service delivery network.

Public services will be made easier and faster by installing the Electronic National Identity Card system that includes biometric data. There will be no need to repeatedly provide the information of the concerned person to each institution, thereafter.

This will avoid the waste of time and money caused by people coming to Colombo from distant areas for every service requirement. The opportunity will be provided to receive those services in their own area, and within a year most of these services will be available to be received from the convenience at home.

Also, people will be able to get accurate and real-time data and information transparently about public affairs. For the success of this process, public servants will be trained, and their services will be made technologically efficient.

No Sale of State Enterprises

It is not our policy to sell public assets including state enterprises. It is our policy to create profits and benefits for the people and workers by innovating and streamlining the processes of state-owned lands, natural resources and enterprises.

For that, Entrepreneurial Executive Boards will be appointed to carry out planned organisational change projects with specific targets.

Facilitation will be provided to coordinate the local private sector for the necessary capital and technical support.

End of Fraud and Corruption Slogan

Some people have been making accusations for a long time that there is fraud and corruption in government administration and public service. But it seems that they only misuse it as a political slogan without actually working to prove the allegations. It only hinders the prevention of real fraud and corruption.

Therefore, an ICT-based procurement system of international standards, an open and competitive bidding system, a modern tax system and a formal investment mechanism in line with the corporate sector will be set up with full transparency. The methods will be developed as appropriate for each sector. Necessary amendments and new laws will be passed for this purpose.

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A parliamentary committee consisting of MPs from the main opposition political parties will be formed to scrutinise and certify all proposed capital expenditures before approving them. This will prevent fraud or corruption before it happens.

Forensic Audit of all Loans

A forensic audit of all the loans taken for infrastructure and human development in the past will be undertaken and the report will be openly published.

This will include the long-term development loans taken at low interest from multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and the bilateral loans taken at low interest from countries such as India, Japan and China.

Also, a forensic audit will be conducted on how the money obtained through International Sovereign Bonds at high interest was used, and that report will also be openly published.

State Balance Sheet

The market value of the physical and human resources developed thus far and the public money, loans, grants and direct investments that were used for such developments will be assessed to prepare a Balance Sheet for the State.

Thereby, people will get an up-to-date understanding of the assets and liabilities of the state.

High-Quality Public Administration

The public administrative service is one of the fundamental pillars on which the success of a state depends. It will be modernised according to international standards.

An ICT-based Public Service Performance Management System based on 360-degree feedback from the people, employees, and political leadership will be set up promptly.

All administrative service officers will be continuously trained to provide high-quality services to the people using modern technology.

Permanent Secretaries will be appointed for the necessary government bodies for the consistent implementation of these policies for a long period.

Uninterrupted Free Healthcare

A modern ICT system will be installed linking all government hospitals to provide high-quality healthcare services easily and efficiently.

Through this, information such as patient test reports and drug prescriptions will be formally and securely filed and can be accessed by the doctors at any time using the Electronic National Identity Card.

This will avoid queues and congestion caused by frequent visits to the hospital.

Under the “Active Nation” programme, sports will be promoted to improve the physical fitness of school and university students as well as public and private sector employees.

Drug production, procurement and distribution will be completely transformed, fraud, corruption and waste will be reduced, and medicines will be provided at affordable prices to the people.

Private hospital services often reduce the pressure on government healthcare. Therefore, taxes on health services will be revised accordingly thereby reducing the private healthcare charges.

In competitive lifestyles, there is a high tendency to develop mental illnesses such as stress. Therefore, mental health services will be expanded while promoting work-life balance.

Clean Drinking Water for All

Every person has an equal right to clean drinking water. Sri Lanka has already made great progress in drinking water supply, but a comprehensive programme will be implemented to continuously meet the drinking water needs of every person living in any area under any weather conditions in the future.

Structural Changes in Education

We aspire to create a balanced citizen through teaching subjects of Science, Technology, English, Mathematics, Mother Language, Religion, Arts and Entrepreneurship.

All education syllabi in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors will be reviewed within one year and upgraded to suit the market and social needs of today and future world. All these activities will be done quickly and at a low cost using ICT.

A “Smart Education” methodology which also uses Artificial Intelligence will be introduced from school to university.

All schoolteachers, university lecturers and career counsellors will receive continuous professional training. An ICT-based system will be introduced to manage their performance, and an additional bonus will be added to the salary based on their measured target achievements.

Both public and private schools will be subjected to international standardisation.

The field of professional training and skills development will be further strengthened to meet international employment qualification requirements. A university development program will be implemented to bring Sri Lanka's state universities to the top of the international rankings, and the university courses will be adjusted to suit the global job market to resolve the issue of unemployed graduates.

A National Higher Education Commission will be set up to regulate state and non-state universities and other degree-granting institutions to maintain the standard of all degree courses.

A special system will be implemented under the Ministry of Education to regulate large-scale private tuition-class education.

Innocent Children

Children are the future heirs of the nation. They shape the future of our country. Therefore, our irrevocable responsibility today is to provide the children with balanced nutrition, a sound mentality, a winning personality and a virtuous character.

Arrangements will be made to provide Triposha and necessary vitamins to pregnant mothers and newborn children through the village child and maternity clinic.

Children from low-income families will be provided with a subsidy for preschool education through Samurdhi. Mothers working abroad, fathers being drunk or addicted to drugs, and parents divorcing or living apart, leaving their children helpless and insecure, is a growing tragedy in the country. A Foster Parent system will be introduced to provide the necessary care and facilities to such children.

Donors living in the country and abroad will be encouraged to provide monthly support to such children. With such aid, a closely monitored work assignment will be implemented in which the mothers of the Samurdhi families who volunteer in the respective villages will be entitled to a stipend for preparing food for and taking care of the children.

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The school lunch programme will be expanded to children of all ages.

Women to the Forefront

A programme will be implemented to allow every woman who wants to earn income but is not engaged in a permanent job. Women will be given priority for small and medium-scale industries and food manufacturing industries. Women will be given equal opportunities for direct and indirect income generation programmes in the production zones that will be developed near their village.

A hotline number and a mobile application will be introduced to call when a woman is in danger or trying to get help including psychological counselling.

Armed Forces and Police

The responsibility and obligation of the armed forces, police and civil defence forces is to protect the constitution and democratic institutions of the state. It is our policy to provide them with the leadership and facilities they need to do their service without any inconvenience.

For that, all military and police stations in the country will be modernised and hostel facilities will be improved. The armed forces headquarters built by us will be completed.

At least one female police officer will be positioned for each village and 10,000 new policewomen will be recruited for this purpose.

A museum and a library will be established for future generations to learn about the humanitarian war against terrorism that hindered the development of this country for 30 years. It will be open to local as well as foreign tourists.

Modern knowledge and training of international standards will be continuously imparted to enhance efficiency in all security forces.

A modern ICT-based methodology and system will be established to control traffic violations. An application will be introduced so that fines can be paid at the scene of the offence.

For those with Special Needs

Brothers and sisters with special needs living in our society will be provided with all essential facilities, income-generating opportunities and equal treatment as per international standards.

New Meaning for Samurdhi

The Samurdhi programme, which provides financial relief to low-income earners, will continue as before with improvements.

A special community programme will be implemented at the village level, involving the Samurdhi receivers with tailored benefits.

The outstanding salary issues and other problems of the Samurdhi Development Officers, who contribute greatly to the strengthening of the Samurdhi Movement, will be resolved immediately.

Respecting the Retired State Employees

Sri Lanka's population is ageing rapidly. To achieve the above development goals, an integrated programme will be implemented to supplement the young workforce with the able retired community.

A Voluntary Service Pool will be established where senior citizens who can continue serving will be entitled to a monthly stipend. Depending on the residence of its members, the opportunity will be given to perform public support services or similar community services in government institutions frequented by the public.

Strictly Confidential This is the property of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. Do not copy or reproduce. The pension scheme will be enhanced to match the current inflation rates. Higher interest than the market average interest on their fixed deposits will be given to all senior citizens, while the current insurance schemes and other privileges will also be increased.

Modern Disaster Management

The Meteorological Department will be equipped with the latest ICT services and other technologies for accurate forecasting which is essential to reduce the loss of life and property due to floods and landslides.

All the necessary facilities will be provided in advance to the areas where a risk of natural disaster is identified.

Youth-led Social Innovation

A community of young people will be organised who can create innovative solutions for Sri Lanka's

social issues and have the interest and commitment to take those solutions to society.

This group of volunteers will implement unique programmes such as increasing the political

participation of youth, implementing the active nation programme, environmental protection

projects, acting on animal safety, and developing of positive attitude among the youth.

This community that will innovatively solve economic, social and environmental problems from the

national level to the grassroots level of the village and city will be connected with international youth

organisations to gain international knowledge and experience.

A contributory savings scheme will be introduced to cover the cost of their wedding ceremony which

is one of the special dreams of the youth.

The primary sector of the economy including agriculture, fisheries, livestock and forestry will be transformed to produce US$ 18 billion per year over the next decade.

Agro-Modernisation

Water, seeds and fertiliser will be provided to cultivate all arable land.

By setting a guaranteed price scheme for grains including paddy, the farmer's return on investment will be secured.

Modern technical methods that can increase yields will be introduced to all fields of cultivation including continuous training on their use.

Farmer Cooperatives will be empowered to manage the entire process from the production and supply of high-yielding seeds to the sale of crops.

The division between major and minor export crops used in the past is no longer relevant today. The reason for this is that the foreign exchange brought by crops such as cinnamon, pepper, and cardamom are closely competing with the major export crops such as tea, coconut and rubber. Therefore, such crops will be reclassified as major export crops. Accordingly, all the subsidies and other privileges given to the main export crops will be given to those crops as well.

Farmers will be advised in advance on the quantities of vegetables and fruits to be produced according to the market demand and seasons to mitigate the wastage of crops and to maintain stable prices.

Surplus harvests will be identified, and supply chains will be connected for export. Cold and dry storage facilities will be developed for this purpose.

A permanent solution to the wage dispute between the tea estate owners and the workers will be provided with the agreement of all parties.

Facilities including land will be provided to double the coconut and king coconut harvests in the next decade and arrangements will be made for export after meeting the local requirement.

Rubber cultivation and production will be maintained steadily.

Cut flowers and betel leaf production will be doubled in the next decade and export support will be provided.

The contribution of the agricultural research and production support officials will be enhanced by equipping them with ICT skills and tools.

Crops will be imported only as per the need to maintain a reasonable price that is affordable to the people while giving priority to local production.

Investments will be made in agricultural innovations that can achieve high yields without polluting soil and water.

Ocean Economy Revolution

Determining the maritime boundary of Sri Lanka in 2007 was a great achievement for us. The United Nations has accepted the request of President Mahinda Rajapaksa regarding the extension of our country's sea boundary and has calculated that the extent of the ocean we are entitled to is more than twenty times the land of Sri Lanka. Efforts will be made to resolve this pending matter as soon as possible.

Marine pharmaceutical products, fish and marine plant-based industries will be encouraged with strategic investments.

The canoes and boats still used by most of our fishing community for short-distance fishing are unsafe. Therefore, in-country manufacturing of vessels with communication and storage facilities will be supported for the convenience of fishermen.

The Ocean University of Sri Lanka will be used to offer international standard training courses and degrees in marine engineering technology aimed at the shipping and logistics job market.

Natural currents and fisheries will be continuously studied, and a new map of fish resources and seaways will be created.

A sales-oriented programme will be implemented to find new markets to face the challenges that arise regarding the sale of fish harvest in the international market.

An investment loan scheme for the development of fish-related value-adding industries such as mackerel, dried fish and pickle will be provided especially to women entrepreneurs.

To develop the freshwater fish industry in the country, a comprehensive programme will be implemented using the inland reservoirs.

Animal Industries

Large-scale industries raising animals for milk, eggs and meat will be encouraged to be more humane in their process.

Backyard rearing of poultry and other animals will be facilitated as an opportunity to earn an additional monthly income, especially for the village households.

Maize cultivation for animal feed will be expanded.

The production industries of the secondary sector of the economy will add a value of US$ 45 billion per year to the country's economy in the next decade.

High-precision Technology Manufacturing

Sri Lankan workers have a special talent for high-precision manufacturing. A policy and practical programme will be set up with international stakeholders and investors to utilise this capability to produce modern technology products for the global market.

The programme will integrate technology and investment facilities, global market access, and strategic international partners.

Small and medium-sized technology manufacturing industries that are already operating, such as electronics manufacturing, will be linked to create regional manufacturing clusters and provided with the necessary technology, investment and global market access to upgrade to high-precision products.

The necessary technology, investment and market facilities for the establishment and expansion of large-scale global manufacturing industries will be done by redesigning the local regulatory and legal frameworks to meet international requirements.

Priority will be given to this new manufacturing sector in achieving the above economic goals.

Energy Production for Export

It is our policy to make Sri Lanka a regional centre for renewable energy export. Large-scale investments will be made to harness, store and export electricity produced from renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind and green hydrogen to neighbouring countries.

Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals to International Standards

Necessary support will be provided to expand the production of international-grade chemicals using domestic and imported raw materials.

Investments will be made to develop Sri Lanka into a regional centre for pharmaceuticals and other health products manufacturing through automation technology adaptation.

Sustainable Mineral Industries

Mining and extraction of underground natural resources such as gems, graphite, quartz, mineral sand, limestone, phosphate, sea sand etc. will be facilitated with the help of the most effective and modern technology which causes the least harm to the environment.

By adding value to domestic and imported minerals and selling them at a higher price in the international market, we will double the revenue of mineral-related products in the next decade.

Construction Sector Boost

Taxes on products required to immediately activate the lagging construction sector will be revised. The construction sector output over the next decade will be doubled.

The construction and development of Colombo Port City will be accelerated and prioritised as a project of national importance.

Construction of highways and other roads which are currently stalled will recommence immediately.

Priority will be given to more efficient construction materials and technologies.

Loan interest will be reduced for the construction of houses, offices and business premises.

Food and Beverage Product Revolution

Food and beverage production, one of Sri Lanka's main manufacturing sectors, will be set to grow by 50% in the next decade. We will facilitate the informal sector producing food and beverages to move into the formal economy.

Sri Lanka's traditional food industry will be promoted while research will be encouraged for new food and beverage products.

Fast food products based on rice and other cereals and methods of preserving vegetables and fruits will be encouraged.

The production of flavoured teas and local herbal drinks will be expanded.

Spices, oils and other plant extract production will be set to double in the next decade.

Local sugar production will be doubled, and facilities will be provided for coconut production aimed at the export market.

Research facilities, quality testing, approvals and certification procedures for food and beverage innovation will be streamlined and expedited.

International food manufacturing standards will be implemented across the sector with a focus on the export market and tourism.

Optimisation of Apparel Manufacturing

Huge investments have been made in Sri Lanka's apparel and textile industries for a long time. Therefore, all necessary steps will be taken to develop the sector and get the maximum benefits. Facilities will be provided to double the production of footwear and clothing in the next decade.

The government will provide facilities to reduce production costs while encouraging investors to develop related industries thereby creating new jobs and factories in different provinces of the country.

The quality of work and life of the apparel sector employees will be enhanced.

Investment will be provided for local textile manufacturing.

Economic Zones along the Expressways

New Manufacturing Zones will be built targeting areas with major entrances and exits for expressways to spread economic growth throughout the island.

For Sri Lanka's GDP in the next decade, the tertiary sector will contribute US$ 117 billion per year.

Travel, Trade, Transit Centre

One of our main strategies is to make Sri Lanka not just a destination, but one of the busiest tourist centres in the region. An advanced technological environment with modern facilities will be created to attract all types of travellers, travelling not only on holidays but also for business meetings and international conferences.

A high-quality promotional plan will be implemented to make Sri Lanka one of the world's most popular tourist destinations in the next decade.

With the end of the war, Sri Lanka became a paradise for foreign tourists. The Mahinda Chinthana target of 2 million passenger service per year was achieved by 2019 but drastically fell as a result of the Easter Sunday Attack. We will increase that number to 5 million travellers per year in the next decade. While increasing the number of tourist arrivals we will also increase the average time they spend in the country and increase the amount they spend during that time.

The Mattala International Airport was built because the Katunayake Airport would not be sufficient for the arrival of those additional tourists. Therefore, Mattala Airport will be developed as planned by attracting more tourists. A modern electronic system will be installed to facilitate and speed up the entire process from airport check-in to departure, and arrival to exit.

The necessary infrastructure will be improved to develop the marine tourism industry.

Special investment and credit facilities will be provided for the construction of large and small hotels and domestic accommodation facilities with the extra rooms needed for the above tourists.

In addition to the existing well-known destinations, 10 new tourist attractions and many new tourist experiences will be created across the island and facilities will be provided to organise international festivals and conferences.

Domestic flight services connecting Mattala and Jaffna Airports will be expanded to further match international flight schedules so that they can reach their destinations quickly.

Tourists will be encouraged to purchase goods by reimbursing the Value Added Tax on goods purchased at the time of departure.

A contributory pension scheme will be introduced for tour guides.

Future-proofing the Financial Sector

20-30% of the economy currently takes place outside of the banking system. It is unsafe for the entrepreneurs as well as the customers and is also harmful to the state economy. Therefore, we will introduce the necessary regulations and facilities to bring 90% of the total transactions into the banking system.

To reduce the use of coins and notes, bank cards and mobile wallets will be promoted.

Intelligence units will be deployed to detect fraudulent financial transactions. Fraudsters identified will be strictly prosecuted.

New investment programmes will be introduced for the development of rural entrepreneurship. The cooperative banking system will be strengthened with a focus on providing student loans and youth entrepreneurship credit facilities.

Healing Haven

Sri Lanka will be developed into one of the world's leading health and wellness service centres. Public and private integrated investments will be made to build the world's most advanced private hospitals in the country.

Sri Lanka's private healthcare sector, which is already at a high standard, will be facilitated to provide services to foreigners in a more formal manner.

Sinhala Traditional Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine, which have been healing people since time immemorial, will be promoted and brought to an international standard through strategic investment.

Education Services Centre

We will develop Sri Lanka as a peaceful International Education Centre free from the dangers of escalating wars and conflicts spreading in the rest of the world by building state-of-the-art education facilities in some of the most beautiful areas in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka will be set to recruit more than 10,000 foreign students per year over the next decade.

We will also expand the residential facilities, recruit high-quality teaching staff and researchers from home and abroad and create a safe environment for foreign students.

By doing so, it will be possible to earn additional foreign revenue and reduce foreign currency leaving the country.

Creating the Creator Economy

Creating, editing and distributing audio-visual content to a large audience through various social media is a competitive global service sector today. Such content creators in Sri Lanka will be provided with regulatory and financial facilities to scale their services.

Sri Lankan Arts to the Cultural World

Art is a unique way of expressing the culture of a country. We will turn Sri Lanka into a Cultural Export Centre which nurtures our ancient art forms and takes them to the international market with modernity. We will support the development of Sri Lankan artists including songs, music, dance and acting to reach new global audiences.

Therefore, Sri Lankan artists will be able to gain international recognition and make their artworks of higher quality.

Retail Trade Revamp

Steps will be taken to develop the FMCG and household appliances trades to a higher standard. For that, the Consumer Affairs Authority will be re-engineered to suit current and future needs.

Small shops and their supply chains will be supported with investment attached to training to grow their income.

Import restrictions and tariffs on clothing, footwear, fashion and jewellery will be revised to attract tourist customers by developing the trade to international standards.

The government services required for the promotion of land, houses, flats and vehicle trade will be formalised with the use of ICT systems.

All types of restaurants and entertainment services like movie theatres will be supported to be upgraded. Small restaurants will be facilitated with investments attached to training to bring them up to formal and hygienic standards.

Places like the Petah Market, Regional Economic Centres and Sati Pola will be renovated to a respectful standard for traders, workers and consumers.

Government regulations will be modernised to increase consumer confidence to promote e- Commerce.

A simpler and transparent tax system will be introduced for goods imported from abroad.

Transport Services Upgradation

The fact that the island-wide road network, including expressways built during the Mahinda Chinthana Decade, is still in good condition proves their highest quality.

But the transport service has not improved compared to the roads. It has been over 50 years since transportation was privatised, but private buses have yet to modernise.

Private buses are often seen being driven irresponsibly putting the passengers and the pedestrians at risk. The comfort of the passengers travelling in them is not up to the expected standards. This is a hindrance to a dignified standard of living.

Therefore, new licenses and credit facilities will be provided to gradually phase out old buses and import only modern and comfortable buses of international standards.

Licenses of errant bus drivers will be suspended, and new licenses will be issued only after proper counselling and driving training and testing.

A complete innovation will be done in the railways in the next decade. New trains will be deployed to double the productivity of the existing railways, and the train timetable and ticketing process will be done entirely through an ICT system.

Transport of goods on roads increases traffic congestion. Therefore, facilities will be provided for more use of railways for transportation of goods.

New railways will be built parallel to selected expressways.

Also, passenger and cargo transportation services will be expanded by connecting the seaports located around the island.

Sri Lanka will be further developed as an international maritime transport and service centre.

IT-BPM to the Next Level

With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), traditional jobs in the IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector are rapidly changing.

Therefore, the local companies will be supported to transform into futuristic service product delivery modes built on Artificial Intelligence technology.

Leap Forward Sports Economy

By developing Sri Lanka’s sports as a service sector of international standards, it can be placed as a revenue-generating sector.

Therefore, facilities will be provided for the development of recreational sports, competitive sports and electronic sports as services.

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A fair and systematic process will be introduced from the school level to the national level to produce professional and disciplined athletes and players who can win trophies and medals.

Thereby, creating an active population as well as sports personalities of international excellence.