AKD Pledges $5 Billion IT Economy by 2030

COLOMBO (News 1st); Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate for the National People's Power (NPP), has announced an ambitious plan to transform Sri Lanka's IT economy into a $5 billion industry by 2030. 

Dissanayake emphasized the need for a new constitution that would strengthen the basic rights of citizens, promote national harmony, and ensure that leaders are accountable to the law.

"The National People's Power is trying to make a new constitution in a short period of time that will strengthen the basic rights of the people, strengthen the national harmony, and make the ruler bound by the law," he stated.

He also highlighted the importance of eliminating the privileges and excessive expenses associated with politicians, aiming to create a political environment where politicians and ordinary citizens are treated equally under the law.

"We are creating a politician in Sri Lanka who is subject to the law, regardless of whether the politician has power or not," Dissanayake asserted.

Turning to economic development, Anura Kumara Dissanayake pointed out the disparity between Sri Lanka's current IT economy, valued at $1.2 billion, and India's $253 billion IT industry. He stressed the potential for growth through creativity and innovation, driven by a new generation of educated and skilled young people.

"We have a new generation of young people with a wealth of knowledge that can be honed and polished. That is why we are making a big transformation in education," he explained.

Dissanayake's plan includes producing 200,000 new software engineers by 2030, which he believes will be instrumental in achieving the $5 billion IT economy target. "We expect the IT economy to be $1.2 billion today. Transform into a $5 billion economy by 2030," he declared.