No electricity tariff hike being considered right now - PUCSL

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) says that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been granted approval for power cuts until November 30th only.

In reference to the communiqué issued by the Minister of Power and Energy, the PUCSL chairman Janaka Ratnayake said no approval has been granted yet for power cuts beyond today (30).

Further, he said that the CEB’s request to impose 3-hour power cuts on November 25th has been rejected by the PUCSL which only granted approval for power cuts of 2 hours and 20 minutes.

“No electricity tariffs hike are being considered right now,” the PUCSL chief further added.

Earlier today, the Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera announced that the Southern and Ella tourism zones will be exempted from the 1 hour 20 minutes night-time power cuts with effect from December 01. 

In a tweet, he said that the island-wide power cuts of 1 hour during the day and 1 hour and 20 minutes during the night will be continued until the December 15.

The minister explained that with the scheduled addition of Unit 3 of the Coal Plant to the National Grid on December 15, all tourism zones identified by the Ministry of Tourism, will be exempted from night-time power cuts and the island-wide night power cuts will be reduced to 1 hour. 

He also added that there will be no power cuts during Christmas and New Year.

Meanwhile the Cabinet of Ministers has reportedly granted approval for an electricity tariff hike as the increase made in the recent past is insufficient to cover the loss of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

This was disclosed at the meeting of National Council’s Sub-Committee on Identifying Short- and Medium-Term Program related to Economic Stabilization on Tuesday (Nov 29). The meeting was held under the chairmanship of MP Patali Champika Ranawaka.

The cabinet has approved to increase the electricity tariffs under two steps in January and June 2023. Accordingly, the relevant measures are to be taken for the purpose of obtaining approval of the Public Utilities Commission, the CEB’s Additional General Manager, Rohan Seneviratne had said.