“Contact Sri Lanka” portal to help overseas Sri Lankans launched during Coronavirus crisis

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry and the Information & Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has launched an online portal for the use of overseas Sri Lankans as the world is hit by a Coronavirus pandemic.

The web link is hosted on the Ministry web page www.mfa.gov.lk and also can be accessed at www.contactsrilanka.mfa.gov.lk.

Establishment  of the portal, is pursuant to the call made by  President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for coordinated efforts by all Government stakeholders to fight the COVID-19 outbreak and to harness digital technology to prompt faster and more efficient service delivery.

All Sri Lankans living abroad are invited to register voluntarily on the platform’s basic functionalities allowing the Government of Sri Lanka to reach out and provide assistance during emergencies such as the COVID19 outbreak. This platform will allow the Ministry to access real time data for quick action. The open access platform would also facilitate Overseas Sri Lankans to interact between government stakeholders, promoting greater access to the Government services through a single centralized point at the Ministry of Foreign Relations. This Portal will also connect Overseas Sri Lankans with the network of Sri Lanka Missions abroad.

In the long term, the Portal will be expanded and is expected to serve as an official source of information and facilitate Overseas Sri Lankans in obtaining  a wider range of digital services offered by the Government.

 For easy facilitation, the portal also includes a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which will serve as a guideline for generic queries. This user friendly platform can be easily navigated via the internet, on any browser or interface and can be accessed by all  registered users to direct  a query or request assistance, even from a mobile phone.

The ICTA will be working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Relations in expanding the features of the portal in stages, to create a comprehensive online service platform for Overseas Sri Lankans, via the ‘Contact Sri Lanka’ Portal.

The platform is user friendly and easy to navigate the, the ministry said. It will help improve services of the ministry and allow it to respond rapidly in times of emergencies.