The tea industry in Sri Lanka, a key contributor to the economy, faces several challenges. These include fluctuating market demands, inefficient supply chain management, and fragmented processes across various stakeholders such as tea brokers, exporters, packers, smallholders, and manufacturers. The current system lacks a seamless platform to manage and coordinate the activities across the tea value chain efficiently.
Digitalization through the "opTEApro" platform aims to streamline the entire tea industry by creating a comprehensive system for all stakeholders. This digital platform will help monitor tea board processes, manage factory operations, facilitate tea auctions, handle exports/imports, and offer real-time monitoring and notifications. It will automate approvals, registrations, and renewals for brokers, exporters, and manufacturers while providing dashboards and reports for easy tracking.
The digital solution to streamline the supply chain management of tea enhanced efficiency and transparency within the tea industry. By offering a streamlined digital solution, it will support smallholders and other stakeholders, promoting sustainability and stability in their operations. Ultimately, this could lead to better economic outcomes for local communities, a more competitive tea sector, and increased exports, benefiting both the economy and the livelihoods of those involved in the tea value chain.
The problem addressed by the Electronic Document Attestation System (eDAS) stems from inefficiencies in the traditional, manual document authentication process. This system was prone to errors, lacked transparency, and often used outdated information on authorized signatories, making it difficult to verify document authenticity. Additionally, expatriates faced significant challenges in accessing these services remotely. The reliance on manual processes also increased the risk of forgeries, as it was easier to produce and authenticate fake documents due to the lack of stringent checks in place.
The Electronic Document Attestation System (eDAS) addresses these issues by automating and securing the document authentication process. Real-time data updates ensure that authorized signatory information is always current, reducing errors and improving transparency. The integration of biometric verification enhances identity verification, preventing fraudulent activities. Advanced algorithms compare scanned documents against originals, helping to detect forgeries more accurately. Additionally, eDAS enables seamless cross-organizational collaboration between institutions such as government agencies, universities, and law enforcement, making the entire process more efficient and secure, while also improving accessibility for expatriates.
The social impact of the Electronic Document Attestation System (eDAS) could be significant. By ensuring the authenticity of documents and reducing the risk of forgeries, eDAS builds greater trust in public and private institutions. It improves accessibility to critical services for both citizens and expatriates, making it easier for individuals to authenticate documents from anywhere. The increased efficiency of the system saves time and resources for both individuals and organizations. Furthermore, the enhanced transparency and collaboration between government agencies, educational institutions, and law enforcement foster a more accountable and secure environment, ultimately strengthening public confidence in services provided by the state.
The main problem addressed by the solution was inefficiencies in the property registration process in Sri Lanka, which negatively impacted the country's "Ease of Doing Business Index" (DBI). Specifically, registering property was a cumbersome process requiring multiple manual steps, resulting in delays, higher costs, and a lack of transparency. These inefficiencies caused Sri Lanka to rank poorly in property registration which hampered both business and economic activities.
Digitalization through the Integrated Land Management Solution Suite addressed these challenges by:
