The Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates said President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has taken effective steps to invest in Information Technology to empower the people with IT knowledge to ensure speedy socio-economic progress of the country is a shining example for other world leaders to emulate.
He expressed confidence that Sri Lanka would achieve the development goals by utilizing communication technology for speedy economic growth and development, much of that will be fueled by the use of software and the power of IT.
Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said this after presenting the Outstanding Information Technology Award for village based IT to Nanasela of Sri Lanka, which is a concept launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mr Gates made this presentation at the International Librarians and Intellectuals Conference in Leon, France on August 18.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his government recognize the extraordinary potential that information technology has to dramatically improve people’s lives in the country and succeeded in overcoming challenges faced during adaptation of IT for development, he said.
Mr Bill Gates expressed appreciation over President Rajapaksa’s commitment and dedication to transform the lives of underprivileged people by making use the tools of information technology and emphasized that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a good leadership example for other world leaders to emulate.