(A) Introduction A.1. Vision The Government of Sri Lanka has developed the following vision for leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the development of the government sector, “To adopt ICT in all its aspects to make government more efficient and effective, improve access to government services, and create a more citizen centric government” A.2. Background The Government of Sri Lanka first recognized the need for the development of ICT through the National Computer Policy (COMPOL) of 1983. This first attempt was taken by the Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority of Sri Lanka (NARESA) on the instructions of the then President. A committee appointed by NARESA produced the National Computer Policy. The acceptance of COMPOL by the government gave rise to the establishment of the Computer and Information Technology Council of Sri Lanka (CINTEC), -later termed the Council for Information Technology - by a Parliamentary Act No. 10 of 1984, to function directly under the then President. The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) was established in July 2003 and pursuant to Information and Communication Technology Act No. 27 of 2003, (ICT Act), ICTA was identified as the legal successor to CINTEC and became the apex ICT institution of the Government, presently functioning within the purview of the Presidential Secretariat. Under the ICT Act No. 27 of 2003 ICTA was empowered to formulate and implement strategies and programmes in both the Government and the private sector and pursuant thereto ICTA prepared programs and strategies on Information and Communication Technology, which are presently embodied in the “e-Sri Lanka Development Project”. The “e-Sri Lanka Development Project”, formulated during the period 2002-2005, is aimed at taking the dividends of ICT to all segments of Sri Lankan society and to further the socio economic development of the nation. Through the implementation of this multi-donor funded project an enabling environment is being created, where government works in partnership with stakeholders to create the necessary infrastructure, and establish egovernment services. In October 2004 the Cabinet of Ministers identified the “e-Sri Lanka Development Project” as the National Information Technology Action Plan of the Government, and further strengthened ICTA's legal mandate in the following manner: 1