Govt. members in SLT Board hadn’t briefed President: Officials

Tuesday, 30 January 2024 01:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Referring to the SLT-Mobitel refusing to withdraw the case against the Dialog-Airtel merger widely reported yesterday in the Daily FT, official sources said Government members on the SLT Board for months had not briefed President Ranil Wickremesinghe fully and was taking refuge on a board decision without highlighting their concerns about the spectrum allocation to TRC and reallocating the same amongst all existing operators according to law.

They argued that the Non-Executive Chairman Reyaz Mihular representing the major shareholder should have conveyed the Government position to the SLT Board more effectively and kept the President properly appraised.

“Finally it is the prerogative of the Government to appoint their representatives. It is not about interfering. There is generally an appreciation that the Government must not be in business,” official sources added.

The President on 24 January directed the Treasury Secretary to reconstitute the SLT Board with immediate effect. The new Government members proposed are K.D.D.D. Arandara (Chairman), Dr. K.A.S. Keeragala, Dinesh Vidanapathirana, Prof. K.M. Liyanage, Dr. D.M.I.S. Dassanayake and Chathura Mohottigedara in place of Reyaz Mihular (Chairman) who resigned last week, Rohan Fernando, Lalith Seneviratne, Mohan Weerakoon PC, Ranjith Rubasinghe, and K.A. Vimalenthirarajah (Treasury representative).

See https://www.ft.lk/top-story/Govt-answers-Dialog-Airtel-merger-call-disconnecting-SLT-Mobitel/26-757886