Dayasiri accuses Energy Minister of misleading parliament and breach of privilege
January 22, 2025 02:32 pm
Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara has alleged that his parliamentary privileges were violated by a statement made by the Minister of Power and Energy, claiming that electricity tariffs could not be reduced due to losses incurred by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
The MP raised this issue in Parliament today (21) while participating in the debate on the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ national initiative.
“On January 9, 2025, I questioned the Minister of Power and Energy regarding the possibility of reducing electricity tariffs. As a follow-up, I pointed out that the Ceylon Electricity Board had recorded a profit of Rs. 167 billion in 2024. However, the Minister refuted this, asserting that the board was burdened with a debt of Rs. 322 billion, and insisted that the alleged profit must be proven.”
MP Jayasekara further explained that the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance Dr. Harsha de Silva later contradicted the Minister’s statement.
“At that moment, Dr. Harsha de Silva stood up and referenced page 36 of the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report, which confirmed that the Electricity Board had made a profit of Rs. 119.209 billion as of June 30, 2024. By denying this officially recorded profit and presenting false information to the Parliament, the Minister not only misled the Parliament but also obstructed my duties as an MP, amounting to a breach of privilege,” Jayasekara argued.
Additionally, he referenced official correspondence between the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), confirming that the board’s total profit from January 24 to December 24, 2024, stood at Rs. 140.59 billion.
With Rs. 34 billion in depreciation, he stated that the total profit for 2024 amounted to Rs. 177.6 billion.
