Opportunities for Digital Asia

“My Government firmly believes that the benefits of any development activity should go to the ordinary masses. The people should be the real benefactors of these programs, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the eAsia 2009 exhibition at the BMICH yesterday (02). “ He said all development projects being implemented in the country are firmly rooted in this premise and eDevelopment programs being implemented in the country is no exception. Stressing that children should be protected from the dangers in cyber space, he appealed to all Asian leaders to take precautions in this regard. “Our children who are from a well cultured society should not be harmed,” the President stressed. The President said the Government is in the process of formulating the next phase ICT Master Plan which will pave the way for the rural masses to receive the fruits of ICT development in the country.

e-Asia 2009, the fourth in the series of the premier ICT event in Asia is the best e-Asia so far. This was the consensus of opinion expressed by all the delegates who offered their feedback at the last plenary session held at room B of BMICH Colombo last Friday evening. "I have attended all the e-India and all the e-Asia conferences and exhibitions. I say that from all aspects including hospitality from the security personnel at the entrance to the head table e-Asia 2009 is by far the best", India's Department of Information Technology Senior Technical Director Ashis Sanyal said. Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies President M. P. Narayanan said that e-Asia 2009 did not end with the final session but would continue through the internet and other means of communication. Delegates from Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, and Portugal etc. too were full of plaudits for e-Asia 2009.