BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, March 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Millicom International Cellular S.A. ("Millicom") (Nasdaq Stock Market: MICC, Stockholmsborsen and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: MIC), announces that it, together with its subsidiary Celltel in Sri Lanka, will commit the required funds of at least Rs.180 million (US $1.8m) to rebuild and equip 40 Gramodaya Health Centres, destroyed or damaged by the tsunami which struck the coastal districts of Sri Lanka on December 26th 2004.
The Gramodaya (``village re-awakening") Health Centres provide primary healthcare for women and children and each centre serves a population of 5,000 to 8,000 people. Celltel will supervise the resconstruction project and, as each health centre is completed, it will be fully equipped and handed over to the Sri Lankan health authorities to ensure that healthcare provision is resumed as quickly as possible.
Marc Beuls, President and CEO of Millicom International Cellular S.A comments: "Our subsidiary Celltel has been operating in Sri Lanka since 1989 and together we are glad to contribute to the nation's reconstruction efforts."
Those wishing to support Millicom in its tsunami relief efforts in Sri Lanka should visit the Millicom website: www.millicom.com.
Millicom International Cellular S.A. is a global telecommunications investor with cellular operations in Asia, Latin America and Africa. It currently has a total of 16 cellular operations and licenses in 15 countries. The Group's cellular operations have a combined population under license of approximately 387 million people.
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" with respect to Millicom's expectations and plans, strategy, management's objectives, future performance, costs, revenues, earnings and other trend information. It is important to note that Millicom's actual results in the future could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements depending on various important factors. Please refer to the documents that Millicom has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Millicom's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors.
All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Millicom on the date hereof. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Millicom International Cellular S.A., any Millicom International Cellular S.A members or persons acting on Millicom's behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors referred to above. Millicom does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
Andrew Best Investor Relations Telephone: +44 20 7321 5022
Visit our web site at: www.millicom.com
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