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Rural Payphone Subsidy
Scheme
In order to provide
greater access to communication facilities
to rural population The Telecommunications
Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)
with the approval of the government pleased
to offer a subsidy scheme for the existing
and prospective payphone operators for each
incremental rural payphone installation
subject to the following conditions. All the
existing and prospective payphone operators
and re-sellers who wish to participate in
this scheme are required to sign an
agreement with TRCSL in order to eligible
for the subsidy.
Conditions
of the Agreement
1.
The Commission shall pay a subsidy of Rupees
Seventy Five Thousand (Rs. 75,000/=) per
incremental payphone installed subject to
the conditions set out hereinafter.
2.
The Operating Company shall locate such
payphones outside the Municipal Council
areas of the island, Urban areas of the
Southern & Central Provinces and the Western
Province excluding the Pradeshiya Sabha
areas of the Kalutara District.
3.
The Operating Company shall be entitled to
the subsidy for not more than Thirty Five
(35) payphones per district.
A minimum of Fifteen (15) phones should be
installed in each district in order for
Operating Company to quality for the subsidy
scheme. All the Divisional Secretariat areas
of that district, subject to Clause 2 above
should be covered in making such
installations.
4.
The subsidy is further limited to the First
Hundred and Seventy Five (175) payphones per
district.
The subsidy shall be limited to the First
Eight Hundred and Five (805) payphones
installed per year per operator for one year
commencing from the date on which this
Agreement is signed.
5.
Payment under this subsidy scheme as per
Clause 1 above, shall be made by the
Commission after carrying out the
verification of completed payphone
installations as and when informed by the
Operating Company.
The maximum period required for
verifications will vary depending on the
number of installations and the locations.
6.
If the Commission finds that the upper limit
is not met during the first year such
details will be informed to the operators
who will be already there in the subsidy
scheme.
In such event operators who are in the
scheme may submit their applications for the
approval of the Commission. The Commission
will treat those applications on a first
come first serve basis.
7.
if there are other services provided by the
Operating Company, separate accounts shall
be maintained for the payphone operation.
8.
Payphone units that are installed under the
subsidy scheme may accommodate card and/or
coin operation. Payphone cards shall be made
available for sale by the Operating Company,
within a radius of 250 meters of the
payphone at least 45 hours a week.
If there are public holidays in the week,
this period may be proportionately reduced.
9.
The Operating Company shall provide to the
Commission a statistical analysis on a
monthly basis identifying the installation
of all payphone booths.
10.
The payphones under this Agreement shall be
completely new installations and not a
shifting or relocation of an old
installation.
11.
Payphone faults and downtime of a payphone
shall not exceed two (2) working days per
month.
12.
The Operating Company shall reimburse the
Commission of the payphone in respect of
which the subsidy has been received.
(a) is removed from such location without
the prior approval of the Commission.
(b) was never installed in the location as
indicated by the Operating Company.
(c) has been non operative for 10% of more
of the review period as bat be
specified by the
Commission.
13. A
payphone installed under the subsidy scheme
shall not be relocated or shifted without
the written approval of Commission.
Re-locations of such payphones shall only be
considered in the same district.
Subsidy will be paid only for the initial
installation and no further payments will be
made by the Commission for re-locations.
14.
Annual audited financial accounts of the
Operating Company shall be submitted to the
Commission.
15.
For purposes of this subsidy scheme.
(i) A
“Payphone” is defined as a card and/or coin
operated payphone which is located in a
place public could gain unhindered access 24
hours a day.
(ii) A
“District” is defined as an administrative
district as set out in the 1st
schedule to the Constitution of the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
(iii) A
“rural area” is defined as a territory
outside Municipal and Urban Council areas.
TRCSL hereby invite
proposals from all the existing and
prospective licensed payphone operators and
re-sellers of payphone services who wish to
participate in the scheme.
Operators and
re-sellers are encouraged to focus their
installations in the districts (including
the estate sector) where the communication
facilities are low.
Your detailed
proposals should reach the following address
including the following information.
i.
Progress made up to date on payphone
installations (If you are a existing
operator or re-seller)
ii.
Detailed district wise proposed
installation plan.
iii.
Copy of the license obtain from TRCSL
(If you are a licensed operator)
iv.
Certificate of incorporation.
v.
BOI certificate (If applicable)
vi.
Company profile
In addition
to the above, if you are an existing
reseller or prospective operator or
reseller, please provide the audited
financial statements for the last year and
the litigation history of the company.
Should you
need any further clarifications please
contact Mrs. Champa Waragoda, The Deputy
Director (Compliance) on Tel. 675780 or Fax.
692425.
The Director
General of Telecommunications
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of
Sri Lanka
276,
Elvitigala Mawatha,
Colombo 08.
Tel.
+94-11-2689345
Fax
+94-11-2689341
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