Community

Involved as we are in the mercurial world of telecommunications, we have kept in close touch with the wider community, attuned to their needs, playing a role where we can, when we can, according to our strengths and aptitudes. Moving beyond core business has made SLT appreciate more, the contributions we could make to life beyond the telecom world. We reach several audiences, with meaningful support and involvement in many important areas of life.

Just as every individual has a place in society and the community, so does SLT, as an institution. We occupy a place in people’s lives, not just because we provide them with products and services, unique thought they may be since we are in the business of

putting people in touch with each other, but because we form relationships that allow both parties to enter the life of the other. Their issues become ours and vice versa. The one needs the other. And then, we share the world we live in, with all its pressing needs of conservation and protection of vital resources. We share common goals in reaching for a life of value and dignity; a life of peace and prosperity within whatever social strata we exist. SLT is justifiably proud of its role in the wider community of Sri Lanka.

Corporate entities must build healthy relationships with the communities in which they function. A healthy and content community can only boost the corporate image and contribute directly to a company’s bottom line. A company’s relationship with the community depends on the products it markets and on whether the community perceives that it is getting value for money. It is also dependent on what the Company puts back into the community on which its profits are built. At SLT we understand the need to develop strong and healthy links with the broader society. In that respect we initiated a number of programmes to nourish and build strong urban and rural societies.

Conduct and behaviour have adjudged SLT a responsible company. SLT embodies the spirit of corporate responsibility in every aspect of its business and social life. Some responsibilities are written whilst others are embedded in the Company's culture and tradition. At SLT, corporate responsibility spreads across a wide area. It varies from serving remote areas, making colossal investments in building the telecommunications infrastructure, the manner in which we do business, selling and procuring, creating value for stakeholders, being engaged in stakeholder dialogues, conserving the environment to supporting initiatives which improve the quality of life of the community within which the Company operates.

A telecommunication infrastructure is one of the backbones necessary for a developing country to grow and prosper in today's world. To help achieve this objective, SLT adopted a philosophy to build a world-class telecommunications infrastructure for local industries to grow and for foreign direct investments (FDI) to come to Sri Lanka by investing colossal sums annually. Recent unprecedented growth in the Communications Sector provides an essential infrastructure for these industries.

Some of our corporate responsibility activities include economic value addition directly pertaining to our value chain, which comprises of initiatives and activities pertaining to protection of the environment and community.

While Sri Lanka Telecom provides a national service by building and maintaining Sri Lanka's communications backbone, the Company does not confine its corporate citizenship activities to this functional area. It focuses its corporate citizenship activities in four broad areas. They are: IT knowledge, Education and English Language skills, nature conservation and upliftment of art and culture. SLT has invested substantially in society, helping to disemminate modern knowledge and introducing modern technology across all strata, particularly in the sphere of education and supporting worthy causes in the areas of conservation and arts, as well as increasing youth employment, bridging the gap between academia and industry and protecting Sri Lanka’s natural environment and cultural heritage.