Basil gets contract to convert Rupavahini systems to digital
Thursday, 28 June 2012

Arrangements have now been made to convert all broadcasting of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) into digital technology and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa is making an effort to secure this millions worth project.

The intellectual committee appointed to study the project and make proposals has said that BVBT 2 technology has to be used for this purpose. The committee has made the proposal saying it would practical since it is a technology used in other Asian countries and even in European countries. The relevant Cabinet memorandum had received the approval from the Cabinet of Ministers. Project proposals have now been called to select a company to carry out the project.

However, a special Japanese representative who has visited Sri Lanka on an invitation by Minister Basil Rajapaksa has asked that the project be handed over to his country. He has explained that it would only be fair to give the project to convert the SLRC system into digital to his country since it was Japan that initially built the Rupavahini.

A senior official from the SLRC said that the technology used in Japan is used only in Japan and North America and that many countries have discarded the technology claiming it is outdated. All countries have taken into the new BVBT 2 technology.

He added that if the Japanese technology is introduced to SLRC due to foreign pressure, the company would eventually have to face massive technical and financial issues in future.

However, the SLRC management and the Media Minister are now in a difficult spot since Minister Basil Rajapaksa is continuously insisting that the project to make the SLRC digital be handed over to the Japanese.

The local agent for the Japanese official, who was invited to the country by Basil, is well known businessman Sumal Perera’s Access Company. The millions of rupees given to Access through various projects by Basil have been invested in several projects carried out by Access.

It was Basil Rajapaksa who got China Harbor that constructed the Hambantota Port to Sri Lanka. Access was also the local agent for China Harbor.

China Harbor has been given many large scale development projects under Minister Basil Rajapaksa.