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| Sunday, 14 July 2002 |
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News in brief SLT to have own phone cards in Britain, says Thilanga Sri Lanka Telecom is to provide a remedy for that common ailment of heartburn and headache among Sri Lankans living in Britain of costly telephone calls to their loved ones back home. Speaking to the Sunday Observer last week Telecom chairman Thilanga Sumathipala said that by the end of August, people in Britain will be able to obtain cheaper telephone calls to Sri Lanka with SLT's own phone cards. Sumathipala said that the price of a call would be reduced by anything between 20 to 30 percent but a reduction of 20 percent is guaranteed. According to Sumathipala, a huge expansion of Sri Lanka Telecom is on the cards. He said: "A total liberalisation of the system is planned with changes to management restructuring to meet today's challenges and a mobile company of our own within the next six months at least. Majority shares will be owned by SLT. "We also want to play a bigger role in Internet traffic", he continued, emphasising that SLT has at present only 35,000 internet users from among almost three quarter of a million fixed-line operators. Malaysia Airlines launches flights to Colombo Malaysia Airlines, which is the national airline of Malaysia, will launch its first direct services to Colombo. The inaugural flight is scheduled for August 4, 2002. Initially, Malaysia Airlines will operate two flights a week direct to Kuala Lumpur on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 7.10 a.m. The aircraft equipment will be the sophisticated Boeing A 330 series, with 12 First Class seats, 22 Business class seats and 252 Economy seats. In what is considered a positive sign for SriLanka, Malaysia Airlines becomes the first recognised international airline to commence flights to the country after the government's peace initiative. Free uniforms Funds have already been released for school uniforms which every student will get. The new application system is only for stopping malpractices that had taken place during the past few years when arranging and distributing the uniforms, the Human Resources Development and Cultural Affairs and Education Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku said. Speaking to the 'Sunday Observer' he also said that some persons who had lost their political paths were publishing tales for petty political purposes. "All parents can apply for uniforms for their children. The government has not brought in any criteria on the issuing of uniforms," the minister added. |
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