Abans joins Lanka Bell in bill settlement

Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and Abans Director Behman Pestonjee exchange the partnership agreement.

Top telecommunications solutions provider Lanka Bell has added the extensive branch network of Abans Ltd., to the company's bill settlement network, expanding it by more than 250 outlets.

Lanka Bell post-paid subscribers can now settle their monthly bills and pre-paid subscribers can recharge their accounts at any of the 231 Abans branches islandwide and also at any of the 30 branches of `A-Z Electronics', from 1st of June onwards. Payments can be made by cash or credit cards at any of these branches, the company said. Commenting on the partnership, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: "We are happy to tie up with Abans which has its branch network in all nine provinces. This will bring greater convenience to our subscriber base of over a million by offering more outlets to settle their bills at locations closer to their homes or offices."

He said the new partnership will increase the size of Lanka Bell's bill settlement network to more than 2,500 outlets.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 13 banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, People's Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank, DFCC Vardhana Bank and PABC Bank as well as Singer Sri Lanka outlets. Earlier this year, the company partnered with Nations Trust Bank PLC to facilitate online card payments for all Lanka Bell bills.

The only 100 percent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest `fixed line' provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka and has 60 of its very own fully fledged business offices islandwide.