Six Govt. directors including Chairman resign from SLT Board

Six  Government directors including Chairman from the Sri Lanka Telecom Board have announced their resignation with immediate effect, the Company disclosed yesterday. 

They are Reyaz Mihular (Non-Executive Independent Chairman), Rohan Fernando who holds 120,000 shares and a former Chairman appointed during the regime of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Lalith Seneviratne, Ranjith Rubasinghe, Mohan Weerakoon PC and Treasury representative K.A. Vimalenthirarajh.

The resignations by six Board members follows the President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 24 January directing 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. Separately Rohan Fernando also resigned as Chairperson of eChanneling Plc, a subsidiary of SLT.

Global Telecommunications Holdings NV/Malaysia’s Maxis holds 45% stake and has four nominees on the SLT Board.

Analysts opined the resignations by some of the incumbent was interesting as previously it was anticipated they wouldn’t.

The reconstitution follows the Government not being happy with SLT-Mobitel challenging in Court the proposed merger between industry leader Dialog Axiata and Airtel especially with regard to spectrum issues with Telecommunications Regulatory Commission cited as a respondent. For more details see also https://www.ft.lk/top-story/Govt-answers-Dialog-Airtel-merger-call-disconnecting-SLT-Mobitel/26-757886