Lanka Bell, Trico to connect Lankans in Middle East

TIE UP: Lanka Bell announced a tie-up with Trico Maritime whereby over 300,000 Sri Lankans working in the Middle East will be offered both pre-paid and post-paid connections.

Managing Director Lanka Bell Suren Goonewardene said, "As the only fully Sri Lankan owned telecom company in this country, this is our commitment to our fellow citizens working in the Middle East giving their families the opportunity of calling their loved ones at special rates and thus more frequently than earlier".

Lanka Bell's decision to tie up with Trico, was the latter's swelling customer base of over 300,000 Sri Lankans working in the Middle East. To benefit from this unique scheme, Sri Lankans working in the Middle East have to fill in a form, pay the Trico representative in the relevant country and also recommend a relative in Sri Lanka who will receive the phone. Trico will, in turn, inform Lanka Bell which will make necessary arrangements for the phone to be collected by the subscriber's relative at the Lanka Bell branch office nearest to his/her residence.

Trico Chairman Ariya Kannangara said that Trico was a Sri Lankan Company which was continuously exploring the possibility of providing facilities for the needs of the Sri Lankan community in the Middle East.

"We're delighted to join hands with Lanka Bell and provide telephone connections to the families of the Sri Lankan community in the Middle East. Linking the Middle East expatriates to their kith and kin through Lanka Bell via the Trico network in the Gulf fulfils a long felt need. This project will be launched in Kuwait and expanded to other Gulf countries in the near future", Kannangara said.

"Sri Lankans working in the Middle East have been a largely neglected market. Just as their hard earned petro dollars swell the country's forex levels, we need to look after their families here. There are thousands of housemaids who leave their families behind and venture forth to earn money in the Middle East, very often in trying and difficult conditions.

There are hundreds of fathers and mothers who miss their children back home. We want to connect them and change their lives, by helping them to be in touch at special rates", Goonewardene added.