Bloggers and Online Entrepreneurs Struggle to Make a Mark in Sri Lanka
Recently the .lk (Sri Lankan domain ) registry collected applications for another ‘Best Webs’ competition in order to reward existing successful online ventures in Sri Lanka.
This competition undoubtedly encourages and amplifies development of e-commerce enterprises in the country.
Although the .lk registry (managed by the ICT Dept., University of Moratuwa, a state university) recognizes the efforts of .lk sites that are up and running, it fails to address the regional issues faced by local bloggers and online entrepreneurs.
Many leading commercial banks in Sri Lanka boast a network interlinked with their respective branches island-wide. The banking system in the country as a whole is very healthy. But the problems are faced when we Sri Lankans (especially website owners) want to generate geographically independent transactions. In simple terms, we can’t even link our bank accounts to Sri Lankan ‘PayPal’ accounts.
As always, the local small businesses or individuals who seek an online presence are the victims. While the major players are able to set up expensive merchant accounts that incur a huge monthly fee, the issues are not yet recognized by the regulators as a problem.
OK, I agree. It may be the individual terms and conditions imposed by certain major brands like ‘PayPal’ or ‘Google’ that prevent Sri Lankans using those services to the maximum potential. Nevertheless, I have the obligation to point out that something is wrong somewhere in our banking or economic systems, that imply these restrictions posed by most of the major financial brands in the world.
Whether the problem is rooted in the economic system or the monetary policy, it does not really matter, as Sri Lanka has thus far failed to earn recognition online as a trustworthy geo location. How long do we have to wait till we see everything online is equally accessible for us Sri Lankans, too…?
Follow Technorati