PUCSL Chairman eager to meet President

Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake has claimed that he is yet to be called on by the President.

Joining Ada Derana’s ‘Big Focus’ programme today (29 Dec.), Ratnayake said that he is, in fact, waiting for such a call from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, so as to discuss the ongoing concerns.
 
Speaking in Parliament recently, President Wickremesinghe made several allegations against Ratnayake, accusing him of leading society astray with his claims that he would not allow an increase in electricity tariffs.

Wickremesinghe also revealed that Ratnayake is the chairman of several organizations, including Trillium, which currently buys the most units of electricity. “When the tariffs on electricity are increased, his own expenses increase,” he said, attributing this to Ratnayake’s hesitance towards the increase.

Speaking with regards to the proposed electricity tariffs during the programme, Ratnayake stated that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is yet to notify PUCSL of an increase in electricity tariffs, asserting that no such revision can be made without the approval of PUCSL.

He accused CEB of attempting to create a wave of ‘fear’ amongst society by claiming that the proposed tariffs are due to be presented before the Cabinet, reiterating that for this to happen, the proposal needs to be presented to PUCSL first.