OPA AT YOUR SERVICE

Questions and Answers:

Migration to Australia

Question: I’m expecting to migrate Australia with my family and already submitted police and medical clearance to the Adelaide Skills Processing Centre.

In that case,

(a) How long will it be to the next steps and what will be the next step after medical and police clearance?

(b) I have done IELTS and the marks are not sufficient as they require, so is there any alternative choice to do IELTS after migrating to Australia?

(c) Normally do they issue or not visa for migrators with-out required IELTS marks?

(d) Is there any validity period of medical and police clearance certificates for migration purposes?

(e) What are the new changes/rules regarding migration?

I will very much appreciate if you can clarify my problems through your valuable page please.

- P. K. Ranasinghe [email protected]

Answer: Have you been given a Registration or ID number by the Australian High Commission in Colombo. Have you already paid the fees of about Rs. 100,000. What does IELTS stand for. Unless they find you as qualifying for family migration, they would not have requested you to submit police and medical reports.

It will take about 8-12 weeks for you to hear from them, you can call tel. 2463200 and speak to a “Case Officer” giving your reference number to check on the progress and any further details.

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Discount for domestic calls

Question: The SLT telephone bills sent to subscribers currently, indicate the Telephone Rental as Rs. 396/75 (domestic use) followed by the breakdown of telephone usage charges separately on time based system with the indication of whatever amount as applicable.

Thereafter a discount is indicated reading ‘Less-discounter for domestic alls fixed line-TX, which in essence form the usage charges of telephone for the period in total.

I am unable to comprehend what the discount means. Is it a Tariff Adjustment Revision-Jan 2007 to Oct 2007, as announced, or will the subscribers have to pay Rental Plus Telephone Usage Charges, once the Tariff, Revision Adjustment ceases? I wish to have a clarification of the correct position.

- K. M. Fernando, Colombo 09

Answer: The tariff adjustment (Revision) January 2007 to October 2007 was credited (deducted from the Bill) on a once and for all basis in the monthly bill for November 2007.

Previously all SLT fixed line customers were entitled to 200 units (Local and National calls only not IDD calls) free of charge.

This credit was discounted from the call charges.

Now the billing is on per second basis and not in units, therefore the former 200 units free of charge credit has now been converted to Rs. 460 (including VAT) credit. You will be entitled to Rs. 460 credit every month provided your local and national calls charge is more than Rs. 460.

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Transfer of Fixed Deposit from a Finance Company to NSB

Question: I have fixed deposits at a Finance Company in Sri Lanka. It matures in mid April 2008. I want to withdraw this money at maturity and deposit it with the National Savings Bank. I live in the US. The investment company in which I have invested will pay only by account payee cheque in my favour. How can I get this money deposited without coming to Sri Lanka?

- Camillus Silva, USA

Answer: We presume that you are still a citizen of Sri Lanka to open a fixed deposit with the NSB; if not you have to open an NRFC Account. Non Citizens cannot hold a Rupee Account in Sri Lanka.

In order to open an account you have to necessarily fill their form which is available on their web www.nsb.lk. Once you download the application form and complete it you can forward it by email to “[email protected].

Having forwarded the completed form, you must instruct the Finance Company to forward a Cheque drawn in favour of “Manager NSB-HO Branch on account of Camillus Silva.” This cheque is to be forwarded to the Manager NSB-HO Branch, Galle Road, Colombo 3 under advice to you of the Cheque Number and the amount.

Thereafter, you should e-mail the Cheque details to the Manager NSB-HO enabling him to connect the Cheque with your application.

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Renewal of passport

Question: Could you please let me know whether a Sri Lankan Passport obtained in 1998, could be renewed for a further period of 10 years? The old Passport was not renewed until now as their is a need to undertake a visit overseas.

Will it be acceptable to the Passport Office to renew my passport after paying the required fee, although there is a notion that a fresh application must be made to the Passport office, to obtain a fresh passport.

The birth certificate was given as evidence to issue the old Passport. If NIC is submitted as evidence would it suffice. Please advise to cut short the procedure to avoid unnecessary documentation.

- Lionel F W Ponniah, Colombo 13.

Answer: The passports issued now are valid for 10 years whereas all passports issued prior to 2007 though can be used for 10 years, have to be renewed after the lapse of 5 years from the date of issue. Such extension was given on the same passport. Whereas after 10 years one has to obtain a new passport.

The short procedure in order to avoid unnecessary delay is to apply for same day service where you hand over the application in the morning and collect the passport in the evening. Anyhow you have to fill an application for a new passport providing reference of your old passport.

You have to also submit your old passport and a copy of your Birth Certificate if available and a copy of the NIC. In addition you have to produce your original NIC for inspection at the point of handing over the application. If you do not have the original Birth Certificate for verification it may not matter.

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Redemption of Building given on Rent

Question: I am a retired Government servant aged 60 + years having two daughters; one of them is deaf. I do not have any income other than my pension salary for the living of my family which is insufficient even for two weeks of the month.

My wife has a commercial property (building) in the heart of the commercial town in the Southern Province which had been given on rent about 48 years ago by her father who had died about 45 years back. The tenant is very old now and his son is running a business (grocery) in that building.

My wife requested them several times to hand over the building back to us, but they refused the request. They pay the rent to the Pradeshiya Sabha (Rs. 85 per month). We filed a court case against the tenant to get back the building but we were unsuccessful due to the fault of our lawyer.

I am having an idea to start a small business in that building for the living of my family. But they (tenant and his son) never agree to hand over the building back to us. They even do not like to discuss the matter with us. We suggested to them to buy the building for a reasonable price but they do not care.

I am not in a position to bear the expenditure to take legal action against the tenant again. Please let me know how to get the building back to start a business. Also I like to know whether there are provisions in House Rent Act to get back the building from the tenant. Hope early reply via E-mail or Daily News “OPA at your service” please. Thank you.

- N. V. DAYARATNA, [email protected]

Answer: We suggest you write to the Legal Aid Commission regarding your case. They will not only provide you advice but also appear free of charge on your behalf. Further they have Branch Offices in the out station as well, therefore you will be able to meet the Officers in person and discuss your case.

You first write to “Chairman, Legal Aid Commission”, No. 129, Hulftsdorp Street, Colombo 12. They will direct you to the Branch Office nearest to you. You can also contact them by e-mail: [email protected] for more details and their website is www.lawaid.org.

Science and Technology in Sri Lanka

Continued from last week

(ii) We have failed to realise that investment in R&D and building up a critical mass of manpower trained in S&T, successfully done in both the industrialised world and the NICs are basic and vital requirements for enhanced productivity and economic development.

(iii) The annual financial allocation for S&T in industrialised countries are in the order of 2 to 4 per cent of the GDP, South Korea 2.8% India and Malaysia 1 per cent whereas the corresponding figure for some developing countries in Asia, is below low 0.2 per cent.

Sri Lanka’s low budgetary allocations for S&T stagnant at 0.13 to 0.18 per cent of GDP per annum for decades lagging behind most, if not all developing countries in Asia, are because the results of such developmental research are normally not visible in the short-term of a Parliament’s life, and therefore of little use in gathering votes at the next election.

This must be attributed to scientific illiteracy and inadequate awareness and appreciation of the importance of S&T by the general public, and the decision-makers at the highest levels.

(iv) Decision-making should not be the exclusive preserve of politicians and bureaucrats who seem unaware of the paramount importance of S&T. Scientists should be actively involved.

Sri Lanka was ahead of most of the other developing countries in the Asian region 40 years ago in our R&D activities, thanks to the legacy left behind by our colonial masters, the British. But today we are on the lowest rung of the ladder, similar to, and we believe because of, the fate that has befallen our administrative service.

(B) Policy implementation

(i) Autonomous statutory science and technology institutions were established with independent governing boards under Acts of Parliament to enable efficient performance and productivity without being fettered by bureaucratic procedures, red tape and political interference typical of government department.

(ii) However despite their statutory autonomy, in practice the Boards are today not much better than government departments. They are obliged to rigidly follow ministerial controls and instructions particularly in matters related to personnel management, such as staff recruitment and promotions, training and participation at meetings abroad, and in purchase of goods and services. (To be continued next week)