Dialog mulls rebranding Suntel

he said.

VAT refund claims have been reduced to 2,000 from 20,000 in 2009, he said. The department, in a bid to streamline the VAT administration process, is to discontinue the files of 1725 VAT payers (companies) who failed to furnish monthly or quarterly returns and those who have not made claims for refunds amounting to several millions of rupees over a considerable period. There are many procedures that need to be followed when making these payments, he revealed.

When contacted the head of the VAT department assigned to provide information to the media under new guidelines by the Finance Ministry on public interest issues, said that he cannot divulge anything connected to state revenue to media institutions.

Dialog which made the single largest consolidation initiative within Sri Lanka's telecommunications sector when it bought Suntel a few months ago, is mulling rebranding the fixed line operator this year, according to officials.

" We are considering this, but nothing is finalised," an official told the Business Times on the sidelines of a signing ceremony between FRIENDI, A MVNO, a mobile operator in Saudi Arabia and Du Mobile, the second largest operator in the United Arab Emirates and Dialog to offer SIM cards to migrant workers travelling to these two regions.

This facility will allow subscribers to inform friends and family of their phone number before leaving Sri Lankan shores to the Gulf region. The connections are targeted especially to cater to the communication needs of Sri Lankan expatriate workers who are heavily concentrated in the Gulf countries.

The cards once issued at the airport become active and are ready for usage, but if they are used in Sri Lanka they operate as an international roaming connection. The SIM cards and vouchers can be obtained at the airport upon producing the passport or relevant travel documents.

Hayleys is close to securing a 51 % controlling stake in Asia Siyaka, a group involved in commodity broking, tea sector sources said.

They said businessman Dhammika Perera, also a director at Hayleys, was responsible for negotiating the deal.