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by INDUNIL THENUWARA

A new telecommunication policy document, outlined to develop the sector with vigour, will go before the Cabinet this week.

The document, which will be a guiding framework for the sector, will be open for improvement depending on future requirements, Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Communication Kumar Abeysinghe told a seminar on 'Infrastructure Policy Reforms: Are we on the right path?' in Colombo last week.

"Telecommunication provides the infrastructure for all media in everyday society, but even now these facilities are centred in and around Colombo.

The sector has been identified as a thrust area for private sector-led growth. The State is not a good manager of commercial ventures and the private sector is recognised as a key player in such development. There is a need to attract foreign investments into the sector. The full liberalisation of local and international leased lines are some of the plans for the sector," he said.

Abeysinghe said that they want to put out a new telecommunications act. "The existing act is not capable of addressing the present day issues. So there is no point in tinkering with it. We will, instead, go for a new one. We are hopeful that this would come within three months."

Elaborating further, Director (Economic Affairs) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka Palitha Gunawardena said policy reforms are needed in view of the significant evolutions taking place in the telecommunications and technology sectors.

The last formal policy came into effect in 1994 and the market structure has changed since. "We need reforms to optimise the opportunities in the sector and to facilitate convergence," he said. Gunawardena said these reforms should eliminate exclusivities in the market and restrictions on ownership of multiple media.

With regard to competition and enforcement, there should be interconnection, equal access and a commission to resolve disputes.

Tariff regulation and consumer protection, universal access and an independent and impartial regulator or facilitator are some of the other issues that will be addressed through policy reforms.

The seminar was organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

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