LSSP, CP jointly oppose scrapping of PUCSL

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka have opposed the abolition of the Public Utilities Commission.

In a joint statement, the LSSP and the CP have said that the Commission was established by the Parliament Act No. 35 of 2002 and “no institution outside Parliament has the power to abolish an institution established by an Act of Parliament, and that this can only be done by Parliament itself.”

The Joint Statement, signed by LSSP General Secretary Prof. Tissa Vitarana, and General Secretary of the CP Dr. G. Weerasinghe, said: The Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka are objecting the decision to abolish the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.

The Secretary to the President has sent a letter to the Secretary to the Treasury on December 1, 2020 requesting that necessary steps be taken to abolish this Commission.

This Commission was established as the Government Institution for the formulation and regulation of policies for the distribution of electricity, water supply and petroleum resources and other public utilities in Sri Lanka. The Act empowered the Commission to supervise and regulate organizations, agencies and corporations engaged in the provision of public utilities in the country.

The Commission functions as an independent regulatory body. It promotes the interests of all parties involved, promotes competition, promotes operations and capital investment and efficiency in the public utility industry, promotes efficient-allocation of resources, promotes safety and service quality in those industries, and maintains utility services in accordance with international standards whenever possible. The Commission also plays a key role in managing the price control agencies efficiently so as not to unnecessarily affect their financial difficulties. In doing so, it maintains fairness, impartiality and transparency in decision making through communication and commitment with all concerned.

We emphasize that no institution outside Parliament has the power to abolish an institution established by an Act of Parliament, and that this can only be done by Parliament itself.