National Electricity Tariffs Hike—PUSL Permission is still pending.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has not yet granted the Ceylon Electricity Board’s proposal to increase national electricity tariffs. Prior to July 2023, the tariffs were revised and approved by the PUSL in response to a request from the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) accuses Ceylon Electricity Board of attempting to raise electricity tariff prices by 56% once more.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has confirmed that they have received the requests from the Ceylon Electricity Board’s General Manager Engineer Rohan Seneviratne, but the decision regarding the tariff adjustment is still pending.

According to what has been disclosed thus far, there are a number of factors to consider prior to making a decision. In this regard, PUCSL states: Seneviratne stated in a letter dated 4 September 2023 addressed to the Director General of the PUCSL that the CEB had proposed a 3.15 percent reduction in the electricity tariff for the period from July to December 2023, but that the PUCSL had reduced the tariff by approximately 14.2 percent, thereby reducing a significant portion of the allowed expenditure (approximately 33 billion Rupees) for the operations of the CEB for 2023. Concerned about the situation, the CEB had requested that the PUCSL take immediate action to comply with the conditions outlined in the Government’s general policy guidelines for the electricity industry and Section 30(4) of Sri Lanka’s Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009, as amended.

However, power consumers Association chairperson Sanjeewa Dhammika stated that the Ceylon power Board is planning another 56% hike in electricity costs .And the PUCSL was responsible for the approval. Ceylon Electricity Board and the Minister of Power and Energy should not be permitted to change the national electricity pricing whenever they decide on. Within a year, only (02)two electricity tariff changes could be enacted. And that implementation requires the approval of the Parliament.