By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided to seek public opinion regarding the revision of electricity tariffs proposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board for 2023.

A statement, issued by the utility regulator said in accordance with Section 30 of the Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009, the PUCSL has decided to seek public opinion (stakeholder consultation) regarding the revision of electricity tariffs proposed by the distribution licensee (Ceylon Electricity Board) for the year 2023.

Accordingly, written comments and suggestions from the public and other stakeholders regarding the proposed 3rd electricity tariff revision for 2023 will be accepted until October 18, 2023.

The oral stakeholder consultation on the matter will be held on 18th October 2023 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo.

In the wake of the  the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approval to increase electricity tariffs, the Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has claimed that the CEB is preparing to increase electricity tariffs by 56%.

The CEB reported to have been proposed a 3.15% reduction in the electricity tariff for the period from July to December, 2023, but that the PUCSL had reduced the tariff by about 14.2%, curtailing a considerable amount of the allowed expenditure (approximately Rs. 33 billion) for the operations of the CEB for 2023.

“The total projected revenue anticipated from electricity sales from CEB customers amounts to Rs. 600.67 billion (Bn) (with the other incomes of the CEB, it is Rs. 612.74 billion).

Based on the revised generation dispatch, the aggregate expenditure for the year has been adjusted to Rs. 645.25 billion. Consequently, a deficit in revenue of Rs. 32.51 billion is anticipated by the end of the year 2023 (with the other incomes), if the existing tariff rates persist,” the association revealed.

Commenting on the CEB’s preparations to increase electricity tariffs, the ECA Chairman Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed that the CEB was preparing to hike tariffs by 56%. “Three tariff revisions have been made from August 2022, to date. If another revision is made in the coming months, electricity tariffs have been increased by 200% within the course of one year.

 The CEB and the Power and Energy Minister cannot revise electricity tariffs whenever they want. Only two tariff revisions can be made per year with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. Therefore, it is wrong for the CEB even to propose a tariff revision in this manner.”

The PUCSL had approved an overall 14.2% electricity tariff reduction with effect from 3 July 2023.

The revision reduced the electricity tariffs of the category that consumes zero-30 units by 65%, 31-60 units by 51.5%, and 61-90 by 24.5%, and tariffs of the hotel sector by 26.3%, the industry category by 9%, commercial buildings by 5%, and religious places by an overall percentage of 16%.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s leading engineers have made a clarion call to Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to initiate corrective measures to halt leaks in a massive volume of 78 million cubic metres of water in Samanalawewa reservoir annually, a major hydro power source of the country.   

In a startling revelation they claimed that the leak is causing a loss of Rs.2. 7 billion to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) in a statement recently urged the Government to take prompt action and instruct the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to initiate corrective measures to halt the leaks in the Samanalawewa reservoir.

IESL emphasised the imperative need to guarantee the reservoir’s safety, as communities residing downstream in the Walawe River basin are now under persistent threats.

The IESL observed that the reservoir is situated in an area characterised by fragile rock formations, and despite the implementation of specialised engineering solutions both before and after 1992, water has continued to seep from the reservoir for the past three decades.

“Two thousand litres of water per second leaks from the reservoir’s right bank. There are no leaks from the dam itself,” it explained.

The IESL pointed out that although the CEB had sought and obtained Cabinet approval in 2021 to reduce the reservoir’s water level, conduct investigations, and undertake remedial actions during the 2022 dry season, these measures were not executed by the CEB.

However, the IESL also noted the CEB has already mapped the possible pathways of the leaks.

“Further lowering of the water level in the reservoir now, would enable physical examination, to support scientific investigations done over the years, and then to immediately attend to remedy the leaks,” the organisation said.

“Urgent action is now required to close all the known and visible leakage paths. The reservoir water levels are still very low and offer the best opportunity for the first time in 30 years, to close the scientifically proven and some now visible leakage paths.

Experts in engineering, geology, irrigation, and electrical power have concluded that the primary objective would be to make the reservoir safe in the longer term.

Any breach of the reservoir’s right bank owing to years of leakage would amount to a disaster, unprecedented in the history of Sri Lanka. Large communities living downstream of the reservoir, in the Walawe River basin are under constant threat,” it added.

The IESL said the CEB must be authorised to act now, before allowing the reservoir levels to rise in the upcoming rainy season.

 “The paramount responsibility of the Government and CEB is to ensure the safety of the reservoir and the people living in the vast downstream expanse of the dam, who live under constant threat,” it noted. 

By Basil Fernando

The sentencing of a former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for giving illegal orders not to arrest a suspect.

The reported sentencing of former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Lalith Jayasinghe, for giving illegal orders to prevent the arrest of a person allegedly involved in the shooting which resulted in the death of some persons, was a sentence of five years in prison, by the High Court Judge of Ratnapura. While the particular case may be of interest from a political point of view due to the Member of the Parliament who was later arrested and convicted and later acquitted by the Court of Appeal, this case is of enormous importance from another point of view. This is one of the unique cases in which a very senior Police officer who has held the rank of a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police has been held guilty of giving illegal orders to an Officer-In-Charge of a Police station who was carrying out an inquiry into the relevant shootings and murders. 

The importance lies in the fact that the complaints about the interferences of higher Police officers into the workings of the Police investigators who are investigating into crimes, is a complaint that is being heard so very frequently. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that such interferences have reached epidemic levels. This instance where the investigating Officer-In-Charge of the Police had the courage to complain about this incident and pursue the complaint over a period of almost eight years till a conviction has been reached should set an example for others who are facing similar situations throughout the country.

The importance of this case lies in the fact of the key role played by the Officers-In-Charge of the Police who according to the Criminal Procedure Code of Sri Lanka have the duty to conduct inquiries into all crimes which are being reported in their respective jurisdictions. It is the function of the Officers-in-Charge of the Police to ensure investigations into all crimes that keep the security of the society and also to provide security to the people. People can walk on the roads peacefully and conduct their daily affairs such as small businesses and many other transactions and also conduct their neighbourhood relationships peacefully, only due to the fact that the legal system of Sri Lanka has provided like it has also provided in almost all countries for the function of the Police to intervene into any kind of criminal interference into the freedoms of the people by exercising the powers given to them as investigators into crimes. 

Perhaps, the one issue that may be of general interest to all families throughout Sri Lanka today is the duty of the Police to investigate into various crimes relating to the drug trade as this overwhelming problem has emerged in this society affecting families, schools, neighbourhood relationships and also many other factors which cause social unrest and its instability due to the failures of those criminal investigators who have failed to bring this widespread crime under control.

When inquiries are being made into by some of the Police officers, many of them frankly tell that they have tried their best and are in fact trying their best to get this situation under control but that they are prevented from acting because of the orders that are coming down to them from their higher authorities. When a higher ranking Police officer interfere with the investigations into crimes, they are in fact acting criminally as the instructions they give to the local Police stations to prevent them from doing investigations itself becomes a source of the increase of crimes.

Thus, Sri Lanka must today deal with the issue of higher ranking Police officers themselves being part of a criminal enterprise directly or indirectly by the manner in which they obstruct the investigations of crimes by the Officers-In-Charge of the Police who exercise their powers under the Criminal Procedure Code of Sri Lanka. In fact, the kingpin of crime control is the Officers-In-Charge of the Police. If their work is interfered with by a higher officer, this is a very serious crime and also an action against social stability.

The sabotage of criminal investigations 

There is a need for a strategy to stop the sabotage of investigation of crimes by higher ranking Police officers.

A section of higher ranking officers has become a formidable obstacle for crime investigation in Sri Lanka. Had it not been for this, much of the very serious crimes including those relating to the drug trade can be stopped overnight.

These officers in fact offer a greater threat to social stability, peace and the psychological well-being of people including family stability than any other section of society. Thus, they are by now a national security threat, because a crime ridden society threatens every aspect of society.

These officers may argue that they are a creation of bad politicians. However, this is no excuse and not a defence. Besides, as it had happened in this case, politicians will not come to rescue these officers when they face criminal charges in courts.

1. Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans Mahindananda Aluthgamage says his Committee has identified the reasons for the shortfall of 15% of Govt Revenue this year amounting to Rs.500 bn: asserts a Committee of officials will be established to monitor the Inland Revenue Dept, SL Customs and Excise Dept, since the reduction in tax is due to the inefficiency & corruption of bureaucrats, and the absence of properly developed systems at the 3 institutions.

2. Bloomberg reports that some Committee members on the Committee of SL’s Official Creditors push for a deal to restructure SL’s debt without China: want the group of major creditors, including US, Japan & India, to sign a MOU with Sri Lanka.

3. Public Utilities Commission decides to call for public views and proposals on the proposed Electricity Tariff Hike, which is to be effective from October’23.

4. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera advises the Animal Production and Health Department to start research to introduce 2 species of cattle & goats suitable for SL in order to increase the production of milk & meat: says one of the main reasons affecting the increase in livestock production in SL is the lack of suitable animals for the respective products.

5. General Manager, Railways says there are “productive solutions” to prevent elephants being run over by trains: laments that the lack of funds has caused the delay of implementing these measures: meanwhile, 4 elephants killed on Wednesday (27) after being knocked down by the night mail train from Colombo to Kankesanthurai.

6. Govt expenditure for the year 2024 estimated at Rs.3,860 bn, as per the Appropriation Bill.

7. Govt Ayurvedic Medical Officers’ Assn Media Secretary Dr Indunil Jayasinghe says about 100 Ayurvedic doctors have already left the country with a significant fraction anticipating to migrate: the GAMOA also says the Govt has no sustainable solution at present, and that there is a demand for Ayurvedic doctors in New Zealand, Canada, Germany, UK and Australia.

8. SriLankan Airlines says several flights were cancelled due to “technical issues” over the last few days & every effort is being made to accommodate passengers on alternative flights: also says these are “routine issues”, and aircraft maintenance follows very strict procedures which necessitate repairs or replacement of parts before an aircraft is cleared for flying.

9. Prosecutors in Nagoya, Japan say they have decided not to charge officials at an Immigration Center in the city over the 2021 death of a Sri Lankan detainee, Wishma despite her family’s repeated calls for them to be indicted: the lawyer representing the family says the prosecutors “covered up & disregarded a crime committed by those in power”: vows to continue to fight.

10. Jaswar Umar elected President of the Sri Lanka Football Federation at the election for office bearers: polls 45 votes while his rival Thilanga Dakshitha polled 20.

Chinese Ambassador to Colombo, Qi Zhenhong, reiterated China’s steadfast commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in pursuing a development path that aligns with its national conditions, enabling the country to overcome poverty and foster non-development obstacles.

Ambassador Qi emphasized that China warmly welcomes all nations, including Sri Lanka, to participate in China’s developmental endeavors. Despite China’s significant contribution to global growth, with a share exceeding 30 percent in the past decade, the country remains the world’s most extensive developing nation with a population exceeding 1.4 billion.

Furthermore, Ambassador Qi urged all countries to uphold mutual respect, seek common ground while preserving differences, and collaborate to address contemporary challenges. He emphasized the importance of creating a shared future for humanity and working collectively to overcome global challenges.

By Nethmi Rajawasam (Economy Next)

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals are expected to top 1.5 million in 2023, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority Priyantha Fernando said.

Sri Lanka welcomed its millionth tourist for the year on September 26.

“Looking at the targets we had set for 2023, we are ahead of targets,” Fernando said at an event marking World Tourism Day.

“We have achieved one million tourists up to now.”

An initial target for 1,550,000 tourists set for 2023 will be exceeded, he said.

In April 2023, officials said they were planning to revise the arrival target to 2.0 million for 2023, based on strong first quarter arrivals.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization cited its own tourism barometer on the global tourism sector in May and said that international arrivals reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023.

In 2023, an estimated 235 million tourists across the world travelled internationally for the first three months.  

“International tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people travelling during the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period of 2022,” the body said in a statement.

In the first 20 days of September Sri Lanka welcomed 75,222 tourists, according to official data.

Up to August 2023 Sri Lanka was estimated to have earned 1,304 million US dollars from tourism, up 56 percent from a year earlier according to tourism survey data.

Fernando said the sector hoped to the largest foreign exchange earner for the economy by 2027.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in a statement released in May said, “International tourism receipts grew back to hit the USD1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50 percent in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the important rebound in international travel. International visitor spending reached 64 percent of pre-pandemic levels (-36 percent compared to 2019, measured in real terms).”

The UNWTO Panel of Experts claimed the economic situation to be the main wavering factor affecting international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transport and accommodation costs.

Economy Next