Amalgamated Telecom Holdings chairman, Ajith Kodagoda (third right) and general manager, Ivan Fong (third left) and the rest the holdings directors at Holiday Inn yesterday. Photo: MARAIA VULA
By MARAIA VULA
Tough decisions are needed if we are to be kind in the long run.
These were the words of the Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Limited General Manager Ivan Fong at the ATH Annual General meeting at Holiday Inn yesterday.
The last four years saw ATH concentrate on consolidating parts of the Group to keep focus on core strengths and businesses in order to pull through the economic challenges posed globally and locally.
“At the same time we have kept focus on improving end to end quality of service and customer service,” Mr Fong said.
The ATH board believes such practical business decisions have enabled ATH to keep on top of tough times.
“An unprecedented growth in data and broadband internet has translated into significant returns for our companies, most significantly in Vodafone Fiji and TFL but it also represents a shift away from our core business revenues,” he said.
According to General Managers’ report the company has improved overall sales performance generally with standouts in data communications growth.
And also international business opportunities while core revenues stabilized.
ATH chairman Mr Ajith Kodagoda said, future plans for ATH is to bring value to shareholders values and increase profitability.
Recent Developments
Mr Kodagoda stated that recently over the past few years is that the companies have competed against each other without working together as well as working in their specific area.
Now with the recent acquisition of FINTEL, ATH has an arm to look after the International affairs of the business.
“We have Vodafone which is looking after mobile affairs and Telecom concentrating on the landline, data, so that we don’t compete with each other,” Mr Kodagoda said.
“We will also remove the Chinese wall so to speak and we will start looking at hiring one financial controller, one legal officer and one Chief Executive officer hopefully so we can work together so that all the shares are owned by ATH it’s simpler,” he said.
TFL Appointment
The appointment of Sri Lankan national Mothilal De Silva as the new chief executive officer is nothing new to the ATH board members as it was a decision finalised by the Telecom Fiji Limited board.
Mr Fong said, “De Silva’s qualification speaks for itself, he has vast experience in the telecommunications field.”
He formerly held a position of Group strategy officer and Group chief corporate officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka, a Quadruple Play telecommunications company.
“The board selected someone who will operate in a pace not just in traditional telecommunication but in terms of the new media and new technologies that will take the group forward soon on the basis the appointment was made,” he said.