Compelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and fuelled by technological advancements, Sri Lanka is slowly but surely progressing on its digital transformation journey.

CEO of Affno Group Suren Kannangara believes that the country has what it takes to be digitally transformed, noting on a recent LMDtv interview that “it’s all about getting the right services, connecting with the citizens and making the digital economy happen.”

Optimistic in his thinking, he sees the economic crisis as an enabler of digital transformation. “It will create transparency, enable us to be more efficient and help reduce costs,” he opined, adding that the need of the hour is to accelerate the programmes in place to promote digital transformation, and get “connected within Sri Lanka as well as outside.”

The Sri Lankan government is taking many steps to digitalise public services and build a digital economy. Under the government’s DIGIECON 2030 plan, the nation aims to bolster the digital economy to contribute at least US$ 15 billion to the national economy by 2030.

Kannangara shed light on how digital transformation will help the government to be “more efficient, transparent and cost-effective,” which in turn will have a positive impact on the private sector and citizens.

With more than 80 percent of Sri Lankan companies being SMEs, it is also important to ensure that these firms are digitally connected.

“When you take Western Province companies, they’re digitally present – they have websites, e-commerce sites and digital channels,” he explained, adding that beyond this province, “people are not aware of how they can engage.”

In his view, the government will have to invest in educating small businesses.

And in addition to the lack of awareness of digital connectivity, SMEs also suffer from other issues that are rooted in their structures and business models – or lack thereof.

Kannangara noted: “A lot of people have this misconception that if you build an e-commerce site, you’ll gain a lot of orders. Yet, it is the end-to-end service delivery that matters. If we’re to tap into SMEs, we have to understand what these organisations are, whether they can provide good products and services, and if they can deliver on multiple aspects.”

He asserted that instead of SMEs having their own websites, it would be beneficial to bring them aboard common platforms, outlining the need for these companies to have proper systems to grade, rate and support them in presenting themselves.

Onboarding them to such platforms will help these firms develop standards and be marketed with credibility.

When it comes to encouraging the general public to play a part in Sri Lanka’s digital journey, Affno Group’s CEO is a firm advocate of small wins.

“You have to identify [citizens’] pain areas; sometimes they are very simple. We saw that with the [fuel] crisis; it took a simple app to solve a huge problem. You have to look at current pain areas and address them before delving into large infrastructure projects, which will cost a lot,” he asserted.

Kannangara highlighted the massive gaps between the Western Province and others when it comes to needs and pain points.

He elaborated: “I see Sri Lanka like it is almost two countries – we have the Western Province and the majority who are outside. We have to talk to all citizens across this country and understand what services they really want.”

“People outside the Western Province have bigger problems,” he stressed, noting examples such as farmers wanting to sell their produce and SMEs aspiring to connect with the bigger companies in Colombo.

“If we engage them and have a good dialogue, we can identify services that would be valuable to them. And if a service is valuable, they will definitely use it,” Kannangara stated.

Adding to this, he noted: “If you take on projects where the citizens see a benefit, they will also be a part of the digital journey.”