In the wake of Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera’s confirmation on another electricity tariff revision once again, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) has vowed to intervene if the tariff is increased violating the basic rights of the people.
“The necessary details and a report to revise electricity tariffs will be presented to the first Cabinet of Ministers meeting on 2 January 2023,” the minister told journalists yesterday.
SLHRC claimed that the electricity bill increase in January next year will be seen as a violation against basic rights of the people.
The commission noted that the government or its stakeholders have no right to further harass the people who are already burdened by the current economic difficulties.
Accordingly, if the Power and Energy Ministry or the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) acts to raise the electricity bill from January, the SLHRC will intervene against it, SLHRC Director Nihal Chandrasiri said.
Despite the growing protests of electricity consumers, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved a hike in electricity tariffs by 70 percent under two steps in January and June 2023.
A senior official of the ministry said that although the electricity tariff has been increased by 75 percent in August 2022, it is not sufficient to cover the loss of the electricity board and thus, the request to increase the electricity bill has received cabinet approval.
This was disclosed at the Sub Committee on Identifying the Short & Medium-Term Programmes related to Economic Stabilization of the National Council held recently.
Accordingly, the relevant measures are to be taken to obtain approval of the Public Utility Commission, said Rohan Seneviratne, Additional General Manager of the Electricity Board.
It was also disclosed that the Electricity Board currently owes nearly Rs. 650 billion as loans to various parties including banks and electricity suppliers.
The Electricity Board representative stated that out of the amount to be paid, nearly Rs. 35 billion are to be paid to the organisations that supplied renewable energy and Rs. 75 billion are to be paid to Thermal power suppliers.
Thus, it was said that it is expected to at least make part payment to the suppliers from the Rs.50-billion-rupee loan expected to receive.
His comments come after the meeting of Cabinet Ministers on Monday did not take up the proposal to hike power tariff which was mooted earlier
On 10 August, tariffs were increased by an average of 75 percent across the board, after a lapse of nine years. Nevertheless, the CEB maintains that the revision is inadequate due to the demand increase for power generation.
However, Minister Wijesekera categorically rejected that 10-hour daily power cuts will be imposed in January, noting the claims made by certain unions attached to the CEB has no basis to impose a 10-hour power outage from January.
CEB expects to get 38 coal ships containing 60,000 tons of coal by 15 April 2023 and the five shipments received so far are only sufficient till December 31. After April, seas off the Western coast are too rough to unload ships.
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