News
Minister pushes for power tariff hike: PUCSL Chairman refuses to budge
By Chaminda Silva
Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake yesterday said that his outfit would frustrate attempts being made to jack up power tariffs.
He said that Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera had no authority to increase the tariff in an ad hoc manner.
“The Minister needs the approval of the PUCSL to increase the electricity tariff. If the Minister increases it without our approval, we will take legal action,” he said.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had been making profits since the tariff was increased in August 2022, he said.
“Another price hike in quick succesion cannot be justified; it will have an adverse impact on the people and the industries reeling from current economic chaos,” he said.
Ratnayake added that the CEB had not submitted any request for a fresh increase in electricity tariff.
“There is a way of revising the tariff. The CEB has to present a proposal and then we decide whether to approve it.
There is no point in placing a proposal to increase tariffs before the Cabinet. Probably, the Minister is trying to scare the people,” Ratnayake said, adding that the Minister and the CEB could not ask for a tariff hike based on the possibility of power cuts.
Minister Wijesekera recently said that there would be severe power cuts unless a 65 percent tariff increase was effected.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Power Champika Ranawaka has rubbished the government’s claim that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is incurring losses, and questioned the validity of the load forecasting for 2023, upon which the CEB’s decision to jack up power tariff again is based. Ranawaka is reported to have said the country’s daily electricity consumption is 37 Gigawatt hours, and the CEB’s claim that it will increase to 48 Gigawatt hours next year is far-fetched, and the CEB has not factored in a decrease in the demand for power in the current depressed circumstances.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the State Mortgage and Investment Bank Law No. 13 of 1975
By Cabinet decision dated 2025-12-01, policy approval was granted to amend the definition of the term “animal” in the Animals Act No. 29 of 1958 by including, pigs, goats, and sheep, in addition to cattle and buffaloes, within the interpretation section of the act.
In accordance with the said approval, the Legal Draftsman has drafted an Amended Bill in all three languages, and the clearance of the Attorney General has also been obtained.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the
resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to publish the draft Amendment Bill in the Government Gazette and thereafter to submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
News
Cabinet approves establishment of a ‘Trust’ to carry out the management of the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre
The Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre, comprising 11 floors, has been constructed with the assistance of the Government of India with the objective of serving as a hub for cultural activities in Sri Lanka and expanding bilateral cooperation for the promotion, preservation, and fostering the cultural heritage of Jaffna.
In accordance with the approval granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 2022-02-21, a Joint Management Committee has been appointed to make decisions relating to the affairs of the said cultural centre, in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed for the operation of the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre.
According to the provisions of the aforementioned MOU, upon completion of the construction of the project, the cultural centre should be transferred to the Jaffna Municipal Council through the Government of Sri Lanka.
Following such transfer, the relevant parties have reached an agreement to establish a ‘trust’ for carrying out the management activities of the centre. The Attorney General’s clearance has been received for the draft trust deed prepared for that purpose.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to establish the trust to continue the management activities of the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre
State Mortgage and Investment Bank Law No. 13 of 1975 to be amended
Animals Act No. 29 of 1958 amended
Cabinet approves establishment of a ‘Trust’ to carry out the management of the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre
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