Northern Task Force Chairman meets telecom operators

Senior Presidential Advisor and Chairman of North East Development Task Force Basil Rajapaksa MP met Sri Lanka's telecommunication chief executive officers at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the telecommunication development plans for the Eastern Province and the Northern Province.

The Chairman explained that the situation is fast becoming normal and that the telecommunication operators could engage in developing telecommunication activities as early as possible.

The Chairman informed the operators that de-mining of the North is continuing.

Operators complained that obtaining approvals of the erection of Towers from CEA, UDA, RDA, Forest and Pradeshiya Sabha is a very cumbersome exercise. It takes long time to grant approvals. In order to avoid unnecessary delays operators requested prior approval for this. The Chairman told that he will summon relevant organisations and instruct them to expedite approvals.

The Chairman said that when erecting towers, it should not harm the environment.

The Chairman requested the telecommunication operators to submit their plans and programs for the Telecommunication Development of North-East to the TRCSL as early as possible as requested by TRCSL to enable the Task Force for the Development of the Northern Province to grant approval.

Secretary Task Force, North East Development S. B. Divarathna, Director General TRCSL Priyantha Kariyapperuma, CEO SLT Greg Young, CEO Mobitel Suren Amarasekara, MD Lanka Bell Prasad Samarasinghe, CEO Suntel Jeremy Huxtable, CEO TIGO Dumindra Rathnayake, CEO Hutchison Archie Man, CEO Dialog Broadband Kavan Rathnayake, CEO Dialog Mobile Supun Weerasinghe, Head Supply Chain, Bharti Airtel Mohommed Hassan, CEO Tritel Nihal Rathnayake participated.