1. Taking “PAPER” out of Sri Lanka’s “PAPERLESS” Trade: Accepting e-Documents/e-Signatures
12th October 2016

2. Paperless Trade Experience of Sri Lanka:
Two decades of effort with limited success
ASYCUDA
1992
SL Customs Single Window 2016
SLENS 1997
SLACCS 2002
Sri Lankan EDI Network Services Private Ltd (SLENS)
Sri Lanka Automated Cargo Clearance System (SLACCS)
ASYCUDA World
2010
National EDI Committee 1995
ETA 2006
Single Window
Blueprint
ASYCUDA ++
1998

3. What prevents acceptance of e-Docs? Non recognition of e-Signatures
Paperless Trade Experience of Sri Lanka:
Two decades of effort with limited success
What prevents acceptance of e-Docs?
Non recognition of e-Signatures

4. E-Documents and E-Signatures
The benefits
Time 
Service Quality 
Visibility/Tracking 
Cost 
Predictability 
Traceability/Security 
Manufacturing, Trade & Logistics Competitiveness

5. Sri Lanka’s digital economy aspirations
e-Signatures/e-Docs: A prerequisite
e-Signatures
e-Documents
e-Government
Digital Economy
E-Signatures are required to authenticate E-documents
E-documents are necessary for online transactions
E-government entails a number of government services provided as online transactions
A mature E-government enables the entire economy to be digitalised.

6. e-Signatures/e-Documents
None acceptance of
e-Signatures/e-Documents
Leaves PAPER in PAPERLESS trade

7. E-Signatures: What prevents acceptance? Capacity?
Intuitional Framework?
Initative?
Legal Framework?

8. Legal Framework? The Law has been in place for 10 years!
ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ACT, No. 19 OF 2006
Allows acceptance of all forms of E-Signatures
Supersedes all other laws in Sri Lanka
Public institutions given free reign to propose guidelines.
Based on the UNICTRAL model

9. Institutional Framework:
What’s missing?
INITIATIVE
Guidelines
to government agencies, can help
Issued
under the current law
Based on the UNICTRAL model
At the National Level
By the Ministry of Telecommunication & Digital Infrastructure
At Ministry Level
Can request

10. Issued the guidelines 6 years ago!
Govt. of India
Issued the guidelines 6 years ago!
Based on the UNICTRAL model

11. To realise National Economic Policy Objectives
e-Signatures/e-Docs: A prerequisite
Economic Policy Agenda of the Government
Plug into Global Value Chains
Enhance export competitiveness
Encourage export oriented FDI
Maritime Logistics Hub

12. International Competitiveness of Sri Lankan products & services
The delay is costly!
International Competitiveness of
Sri Lankan products & services

13. How does Sri Lanka perform?
2012: 73
2014: 84
2016: 103
: 65
: 73
: 68
Global Competitiveness Index
The Enabling Trade Index
136 countries ranked
140 countries ranked
Sources:
The Global Enabling Trade Report, World Economic Forum, Multiple Years
Doing Business Report, World Bank Group, Multiple Years
The Global Competitiveness Report, World Economic Forum, Multiple Years
2014: 51
2015: 69
2016: 90
2014: 85
2015: 99
2016: 107
Trading Across Borders, Ease of Doing Business Index
Ease of Doing Business Index
189 countries ranked
189 countries ranked

14. Documentary Compliance
International Competitiveness of Sri Lanka
Lagging behind
Documentary Compliance
Singapore
Malaysia
UAE
Oman
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
To Export (Hours) 4 10 6 31 61 62 76
To Import (Hours) 1 37 24 67
153 58
Source: Doing Business Index 2016 – World Bank

15. Nishan de Mel, Verité Research, LBR LBO Sri Lanka Economic Outlook handout on "Outlook for Sri Lanka"
December 2014
Thank you
© Verité Research 2016
© Verité Research 2016