The Federation of Information Technology Sri Lanka (FITIS) announced the launch of ‘Mini Infotel Kegalle: Towards a Knowledge Nation’, the largest regional ICT exhibition in 2011. FITIS is organizing the event on July 30-31 in partnership with the Ministry of Telecommunication and IT and Presidential Task Force for English and IT.
Speaking about the event, Minister of Telecommunication and IT, Ranjith Siymabalapitiya said the Ministry is making every effort to implement policies and programs to ensure that ICT can enrich the life of every citizen of this country. "ICT can contribute optimally to Sri Lanka’s national development and prosperity".
"While bringing out necessary policy initiatives to achieve this, it is also important to take the ICT message to all parts of the country. This helps us to achieve our national ICT objective of achieving 75% ICT literacy in five years and to create awareness of the benefits of ICT to citizens", he noted.
"It is in that spirit and with these objectives in mind that we partnered with FITIS to conduct the Mini Infotel ICT exhibition in Kegalle. We would like to invite entire ICT industry to join hands with FITIS in this initiative and appeal people of Kegalle district to get the best benefit out of this opportunity", the Minister said.
Wasantha Weerakoon, President of FITIS Hardware Chapter said the Mini INFOTEL regional exhibitions and ICT career guidance program are a joint private public partnership to promote ICT in outstation areas. The Minister has taken a keen initiative to promote ICT among rural youth to meet national ICT objectives of 75% ICT literacy, US$ 1 billion ICT export revenues and encouraged FITIS to conduct more regional ICT exhibitions.
Promoting Information Technology usage and taking its benefits to all citizens and regional economies is one of the objectives of FITIS as well, he said. "We are also working hard with our 160 member plus companies to promote wider usage of information and communication technology to enhance the competitiveness of industries vital to the economy. In order to achieve these objectives, we are planning to hold more regional exhibitions in main provincial towns".
FITIS Chief Executive Officer Damith Hettihewa said, "Information technology skills are vital to build a vibrant knowledge-based economy. In order to attract more youth from Kegalle district to the field of Information and Communication Technology, arrangements have been made to hold an ICT career guidance program parallel to the Mini Infortel Kegalle Exhibition. Awareness programs on professional ICT education, ICT usage in SME sector and lectures on free and open source software (FOSS) will also be organized parallel to the Mini Infotel 2011 exhibition.
A large number of local and multinational organizations representing the ICT field will be participating in the exhibition. Stalls can be reserved under the categories of Computers, IT Solutions, Telecommunications and Broadband Services, Gaming, Media and Entertainment, Computer Gaming , Software, Electronics Retail, Banking and Insurance, Manufacturing and SME, eCitizen Services, ICT training , Professional Education , English and Higher Education, Food and beverages. Hettihewa said.
From The Island (Sri Lanka)
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