The Southern Province today made history as the first province in Sri Lanka to enable digital payments across all its District and Divisional Secretariats through GovPay, the State Digital Payment Platform.

The official launch took place on 15th September 2025 at the Matara District Secretariat under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Hon. Eranga Weeraratne. With this milestone, all 3 District Secretariats and 50 Divisional Secretariats in the Southern Province are now equipped to accept online payments for government services.

Through GovPay, citizens can make payments instantly, securely, and conveniently, anytime, anywhere, via their bank’s internet or mobile banking portals, or any FinTech application connected to the platform. This brings the total number of government institutions integrated with GovPay to 131.

Since its national launch in February 2025 under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, GovPay has already processed over Rs. 110 million in payments for 1,767 government services, with 14 banks and 6 FinTech providers connected to the system. The Southern Province’s adoption represents another significant step in Sri Lanka’s journey towards a fully digitalized public service, with other provinces expected to follow soon.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Hon. Eranga Weeraratne highlighted that this achievement marks “a milestone in our journey to create a transparent, efficient, and citizen-friendly public service.” He emphasized that digital services not only minimize inefficiencies but also build public trust in government institutions. “Our goal is to ensure that all Sri Lankans, regardless of where they live, enjoy the convenience, security, and inclusivity of digital public services,” he said.

The inauguration was attended by Hon. Akram Illiyas, Member of Parliament, Hon. Lal Premanath, Member of Parliament, ICTA Director Harsha Purasinghe, LankaPay CEO Channa de Silva, Matara District Secretary Chandana Thilakaratne, along with senior officials and dignitaries.