News
Minister raises power cut threat to justify tariff hike in New Year
By Ifham Nizam
A daily eight-hour power cut would be inevitable in the New Year if the power tariff was not increased again, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told the media yesterday.
The Minister said the projected loss of the CEB was Rs. 277 billion in 2023 and electricity tariffs will definitely be revised in January 2023. A detailed report on this would be submitted at the first Cabinet meeting in January 2023.
Minister Wijesekera said two units were operating at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant Complex. There was enough coal until 08 January.
He said that three coal shipments were arriving on 05, 09 and 16 January.
He also said that despite the delays in the arrival of coal shipments, the government hoped to keep the duration of power interruptions limited to two hours and 20 minutes.
Plans were underway to provide solar panels to all religious places, free-of-charge, up to five kilowatts. These solar power units would be provided within a period of three months, under an Indian credit facility, said Minister Wijesekera, adding that he believed that it would bring down the electricity cost to a minus in most of the religious places of worship countrywide.
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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