CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Jobs of 6,000 employees uncertain if SriLankan unable to show progress within six months: Minister
Colombo, March 11 (Daily Mirror) - The jobs of about 6,000 employees are uncertain if SriLankan Airlines is unable to show progress of its operational and financial units within the next six months, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
A discussion on the current progress of the airline was held with the company administration and the trade unions at his office this morning.
Sri Lanka Airlines was blamed and subjected to extensive criticism due to its constant delays in operations from time to time. The delays annoyed passengers and inconvenienced them in the recent past.
Minister de Silva said the government decided to repay USD 510 million out of the USD 1.2 billion in loans borrowed from several commercial banks and other institutions to enable the airline to continue its operations.
The decision was taken after a proposal made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance Minister.
Accordingly, it has been planned to start a restructuring programme for SriLankan Airlines within the next six months with an attractive financial balance sheet.
The Minister further said that unnecessary expenditures by the airline should be cut, better financial discipline should be implemented in six months, and the company administration and trade unions should work in unison toward this effort.
During the discussion the company authorities revealed that 16 aircraft are currently used in operations, thereby running six long-distance and 29 short-distance flights. They stated that three aircraft from Belgium and another one from Fit Air have been obtained on a lease basis for these operations.
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