SL should aim to be ‘Serendib of trust’ in digital economy race: Dr. Hans

Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya 

• Says with a robust trust framework, we can carve out a unique competitive advantage in region
• Shares sincere wish is for nation to be known as “Serendib of trust, governance and safety”
• Points out two most critical levers SL to leapfrog are to get data policies and privacy protection right, while maximising ethical use of AI 

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

Sri Lanka is charting an ambitious course to position itself as a regional leader in the digital economy, building its competitiveness on governance, data protection and artificial intelligence (AI) and defining “trust” as its national value proposition.

Chief Advisor to President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said the government aims to expand the country’s digital economy fivefold, from about US $ 3 billion to US $ 15 billion, within four years, increasing its share of GDP from the current 3-4 percent to over 12 percent.

“Sri Lanka possesses exceptional talent. By combining that with a robust trust framework, we can carve out a unique competitive advantage in the region, making ‘trust’ our national value proposition,” Dr. Wijayasuriya said, speaking at the Asian Development Bank’s Serendipity Knowledge Programme on Digital Transformation in Colombo yesterday.

He said his “sincere wish” is for the nation to be known as the “Serendib of trust, governance and safety” in the digital world, a destination for innovation anchored on confidence and credibility.

Dr. Wijayasuriya said AI and data governance would be at the heart of Sri Lanka’s next growth phase, under an “AI-first” digital blueprint designed to integrate technology across all sectors of the economy.

“The two most critical levers for a country like Sri Lanka to leapfrog ahead are: first, getting our data policies and privacy protection right and second, maximising the ethical use of AI,” he noted.

He stressed that Sri Lanka’s digital journey would hinge on building a strong trust framework, rooted in cybersecurity, privacy and data governance, that would help the country compete not on low-cost labour but on agility, innovation and integrity.

Highlighting progress already made, Dr. Wijayasuriya pointed to the Personal Data Protection Act, the establishment of the Data Protection Authority and institutions such as Sri Lanka CERT, which together have positioned the country in the upper quartile globally for cyber resilience.

These measures, he said, would underpin the next phase of growth, where Sri Lanka would stand out through both talent and trust.