The Ministry of Digital Economy, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank and key partners, launched a Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system.

The launch took place during the 2025 Sri Lanka Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit that began in Colombo yesterday.

According to the World Health Organization, a CRVS system is a core component of a country’s digital infrastructure that registers all births and deaths.

The digital platform compiles vital statistics such as cause of death information and can record marriages and divorces to help governments rely on accurate and reliable data for governance, planning and service delivery.

Addressing the DPI Summit, Deputy Minister for Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said that Sri Lanka’s improved CRVS system will improve the accuracy, reliability and accessibility of vital information to the public.

“Our ultimate goal is to create a society where all citizens have easy access to government services at their fingertips,” said Weeraratne.

However, he stressed the need to improve Sri Lanka’s DPI as a key component of this mission.

According to Weeraratne, the DPI serves as the backbone of the country’s digital transformation efforts and the government needs a collaborative effort with the private sector.

“This is a fundamental framework on which every digital modernization initiative in the economy relies. Through this, the government aims to reach a US$15 billion digital economy by 2030,” Weeraratne said.

To facilitate public-private partnerships, he called the digital identity system a critical component that connects both public and private sector systems.

As a step in the government’s digital economy journey, Weeraratne said the digital identity card will streamline public services and pave the way for every citizen to access essential services.

Moreover, he stressed that Sri Lanka’s economic transformation must be “inclusive, fair and secure” and that significant efforts must be made to bridge the digital divide across the country.

“Marginalized groups, rural communities and underserved populations must not be left behind in the digital economy. We must strive to position Sri Lanka as a competitive player in the global digital marketplace,” Weeraratne said.