The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has responded to comments made in Parliament by SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva regarding the outdated and malfunctioning nature of several government and diplomatic mission websites. The Ministry clarified that the issues highlighted stem from obsolete technological frameworks used across these platforms.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday (17), Dr. de Silva criticized the government’s digital presence, particularly sections related to economic diplomacy and overseas investment promotion. He pointed out that several key webpages still display information from as far back as 2018–2019, and that the “Office of Overseas Sri Lankans” link on some diplomatic mission websites redirects users to error pages.
In a statement published by Ada Derana, MFA Spokesman Thushara Rodrigo acknowledged the concerns, noting that the websites of the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism ministries—as well as many Sri Lankan missions abroad—operate on outdated technology.
He warned that certain sites could become completely inaccessible if updates are carried out without a comprehensive overhaul. To address these technical challenges, he said the government has initiated the creation of a unified website platform for all Sri Lankan diplomatic missions and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A contract for the development of this centralized platform was awarded on 17 October 2025, with the project currently underway under the guidance of the Ministry of Digital Economy, ICTA, and SLCERT.
Rodrigo added that an interagency meeting was held on 31 October to connect all diplomatic missions, assess individual issues, and coordinate the upgrade process. The project is expected to be completed by mid-January 2026.
He noted that this wide-ranging digital modernization effort is being implemented under the direction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, marking the first initiative of this scale under the government’s broader digitalization programme.
The Spokesman assured that the public will begin to experience the benefits of these improvements in the near future.
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