Moves to ensure language rights

New standards for public, private sectors:

Nethali STRUYS

Plans are underway to introduce a new standard to public and private sector firms which encourage them to provide services to the public in either two or three official languages, National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara told the Daily News.

Under the programme, firms are to be granted a standard certificate and a logo to introduce themselves as prestigious, people-friendly places where two or three languages are used.

Minister Nanayakkara added that the programme would be launched islandwide in keeping with the Mahinda Chintana policy to facilitate the people to use their mothertongue to receive services from the public and private sectors under the principle of guaranteeing equal rights to all communities.

The government believes that having proficiency in all three languages i.e. Sinhala, Tamil and English, will aid the reconciliation process easily, the minister said.