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Udaya warns of longer power cuts as situation deteriorates further

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

‘Electricity deficit growing due to continuing drop in hydro-power generation

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila says the country is paying a very heavy price for failing to enhance electricity generation capacity since 2014.

Attorney-at-law Gammanpila, who is also the leader of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) stresses ongoing unannounced power cuts are likely to be a regular feature due to what he called ‘system imbalance’ caused by sufficient power to meet the regular requirement.

The outspoken lawmaker warned that the duration of power cuts would be further extended sooner when the supply and demand gap widened.

Responding to another query, the Colombo District MP said that the CEB had no option but to switch off selected sections to avoid countrywide disruption of electricity. Whatever various interested parties say, power cuts were necessary and couldn’t be avoided, Minister Gammanpila said.

Minister Gammanpila said that he recently suggested a daily 90 minute power cut as there was no other option. Acknowledging that his proposal hadn’t received the required attention, Minister Gammanpila said that the situation would continue to deteriorate until all stakeholders reach a consensus on the issue.

According to the Minister, those who had been in authority since 2014 couldn’t absolve themselves of the responsibility for the current crisis.

Asked whether the failure on the part of the political leadership and those who had been at the CEB’s helm as well as trade unions was deliberate, Minister Gammanpila declined to comment. The minister pointed out that all stakeholders should examine the full picture if the country was to address the issue at hand properly. It would be a serious mistake to believe that the issue could be addressed by operating thermal power stations alone, MP Gammanpila said. Those who propagated the lie that the entire power requirement could be met through thermal power generation obviously didn’t understand the contribution made by hydro-power generation, the PHU leader said.

Had there been a proper strategy, the government could have initiated tender procedures to secure electricity from private operators to meet the shortfall. However, in the absence of such a strategy, emergency power purchases could be quite costlier at a time the cash-strapped government was experiencing a financial crisis. Perhaps there should be a genuine dialogue involving all stakeholders at least now, Minister Gammanpila said, asserting the energy situation was in a dicey situation. “Do we have a realistic view of the developing situation,” Minister Gammanpila asked, underscoring the importance of reaching a consensus among all stakeholders.

Appreciating India providing USD 500 mn through a new Line of Credit for the purchase of Indian oil products in addition to extending foreign exchange support of over USD 900 million to Sri Lanka, Minister Gammanpila emphasized the fuel supply remained at a critical stage. “There is no point in denying that fact. We are struggling, really struggling with no permanent solution in sight. That is the undeniable truth. Perhaps, the government should take the public into confidence. The public should be told of the exact situation and urged to bear up difficulties.”

Minister Gammanpila said that the situation could further deteriorate.

The energy Minister said that Sri Lanka was also grateful to China for providing a six-month loan facility to procure oil products. That would come to an end at the end of February, Minister Gammanpila said, adding that one more diesel shipment was scheduled to take place in terms of this agreement.

The Minister admitted that their negotiations with several other countries to procure fuel at concessionary terms hadn’t been successful. “We shouldn’t expect other countries to respond or come to our rescue the way India and China do,” Minister Gammanpila said.

The PHU leader dismissed Opposition criticism. Perhaps, those who had been in power in the 2015-2019 period should explain their failure to enhance power generation to meet the annual increase in the requirement. According to him, Sri Lanka needs to increase power supply by six percent annually.

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Noritake Company Limited donates Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme

Published

7 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

Noritake Company Limited of Japan has donated Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme.

The cheque was presented to Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya by the Managing Director of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Kenji Obara, at the Parliament Complex on 18 December.

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne, Director and General Manager of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sujatha Egodagedara, and Assistant General Manager Captain M. M. Athula Rohan Senarath also participated in the event.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division].

Latest News

GovPay Concludes 2025 with Rs. 2 Billion in digital transactions, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation

Published

9 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

GovPay, Sri Lanka’s Government Digital Payment Platform concluded the year 2025 by surpassing Rs. 2 billion in total digital transaction value, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. Notably, GovPay doubled its collections from Rs. 1 billion to Rs. 2 billion in just 45 days, reflecting rapid adoption, growing public trust, and strong institutional uptake across the public sector.

Since its official launch on 07 February 2025, GovPay has processed over 69,000 digital transactions, enabling payments for 3,372 government services across 215 government institutions. This accelerated growth underscores the increasing reliance on secure, convenient, and transparent digital payment mechanisms by both citizens and government institutions.

Implemented under the strategic leadership of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) in collaboration with LankaPay, GovPay has emerged as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s national digital public infrastructure. The platform plays a critical role in advancing financial inclusion, improving service efficiency, and strengthening transparency in public service delivery.

A key milestone in 2025 was the launch of the Online Traffic Fine Payment System through GovPay on 10 April 2025. Since its introduction, the system has facilitated over 50,000 digital traffic fine payments, generating more than Rs. 66 million in revenue. The service is currently operational across the Western, Southern, Northern, North Western, and North Central Provinces, including the Southern, Katunayake, and Central Expressways. While the island wide rollout planned for December 2025 was postponed due to adverse weather conditions and disaster-related challenges, ICTA, in coordination with the Sri Lanka Police and with the support of LankaPay, has agreed to complete the nationwide rollout in January 2026, with a landmark launch in the Central Province.

GovPay has continued to expand its reach across local authorities, including Divisional Secretariats, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, significantly enhancing access to government services in citizens’ day-to-day activities. The platform has enabled digital transactions for all local authorities in the Northern Province and all Divisional Secretariats in the Southern Province, with a national target to digitize all local authorities by 2026.

Institutions such as Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Technical Education and Training, the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board emerged as some of the highest contributors to GovPay in 2025. Strong adoption by the education sector in particular highlights the readiness of younger generations to embrace digital transformation and demonstrates the platform’s scalability and reliability.

Beyond routine government services, GovPay also supported national disaster response efforts. Since 30 November 2025, the platform facilitated digital donations to the Rebuild Sri Lanka Disaster Relief Fund, collecting almost Rs. 14 million across 909 transactions, including contributions from Sri Lankans living abroad, ensuring transparency and ease of contribution during a national emergency.

As GovPay continues to grow, ICTA is working on revamping www.govpay.lk with enhanced features to support institutional onboarding, service management, and reporting capabilities. With Rs. 2 billion in digital collections achieved within its first year of operation and the last Rs. 1 billion reached in just 45 days, GovPay stands as a strong testament to the impact of coordinated digital transformation, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s vision of achieving a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030.

News

Swift restoration of Religious, Cultural and Archaeological sites damaged by the disaster

Published

10 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

A discussion on the restoration of religious, cultural and archaeological sites affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held on Thursday (18) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, with the participation of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the three Chapters and other religious leaders.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister stated that more than one thousand religious, cultural and archaeological sites across the country had sustained damage due to the disaster. He assured that prompt measures would be taken to commence restoration work and reinstate these sites to their original condition without delay.

The Minister further stated that all restoration work is expected to be carried out while preserving the historical and cultural authenticity of the sites, under the guidance of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Prince Senadheera, noted that arrangements are currently underway to mobilize the required human resources and financial assistance for the restoration process. He also stated that steps have been initiated to recruit the necessary technical officers on a contractual basis to conduct technical assessments of the affected sites. In addition, plans are in place to involve officials of the Ministry as well as officers of its affiliated institutions in carrying out these restoration activities.

The Secretary to the Ministry further stated that generous financial contributions from donors are currently being received to the fund established under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for the reconstruction of damaged religious places of worship.

The meeting also considered continuing the gathering as an interfaith committee to oversee the restoration activities. Accordingly, it was agreed that the progress of construction work would be regularly reported to the committee and that the committee would be entrusted with mobilizing support for the fund in a transparent manner, including assistance from foreign donors, international organizations, Buddhist organizations and other religious institutions.

It was noted that the Central Cultural Fund has identified eight sites that were severely damaged by the disaster and are difficult to restore through conventional construction methods, requiring the specialized expertise of archaeologists, mural conservation specialists, and architects. The cost of restoring these sites has been estimated at over Rs. 500 million.

It was further decided that the committee would meet once a month to review and discuss the progress of these restoration activities.

Religious leaders commended the Government’s intervention in providing relief to those affected by the disaster and in restoring livelihoods, expressing appreciation for the effective management of the response. They also praised the Government’s prompt action in initiating restoration work at damaged religious sites.

The event was attended by several eminent religious leaders, including the Registrar of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Venerable Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Nayaka Thero; the Registrar General of the Amarapura Siri Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, Venerable Balapitiye Siri Seevali Nayaka Thero; the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, Venerable Attangane Sasanarathana Nayaka Thero; the Chief Secretary of the All-Ceylon Shasanarakshaka Board, Venerable Professor Mugunuwela Anuruddha Nayaka Thero; and the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, led by the Chairman of the National Bhikkhu Front, Venerable Wakamulle Uditha Thero.

Also in attendance were Hindu religious leaders, including Venerable Swami Aksharatmananda, representatives of the Catholic Church and the National Christian Council, including Father Alec Roy Samantha Fernando, All-Ceylon Muslim religious leaders, including the General Secretary of the Jamiatul Ulama Organization, Ash-Sheikh Arkam Nooramith, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Muneer , as well as senior officials of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and relevant line institutions.