News
CEB top management backs Minister’s wish to hike tariffs

By Ifham Nizam
The Ceylon Electricity Board top management strongly believes that Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara had rightly stated that tariff hike is a must for the survival of the CEB, unless fuel is given at a very concessionary rate.
Wijesekara yesterday also said that the Government hasn’t proposed to recover past losses of the Board from a tariff revision as asserted by the electricity sector regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).
He said that the proposal that was presented was for an automatic cost-reflective tariff mechanism to be implemented to supply uninterrupted power and to recover the current cost of power supply.
Wijesekara stressed that the CEB estimates that to produce one unit of electricity it will cost Rs. 56.90 for an uninterrupted power supply for 2023.
The current average tariff is at Rs. 29.14 and the deficit is estimated to be Rs. 423.5 Billion, the Minister noted.
He added: “There are 6,709,574 domestic consumers according to CEB billing data”.
The number of consumers for 0-30 units is 1,460,828 and they pay Rs. 8 per unit, while 30-60 units has 1,683,172 consumers who pay Rs. 10 per unit, he pointed out.
Between 60 and 90 units has 1,702,515 consumers and pay Rs. 16 per unit while 90-180 units has 1,559,131 consumers and pay Rs. 50 per unit. 180+ units has 303,928 consumers paying Rs. 75 per unit, he added.
Wijesekara also emphasized that the lower layers are heavily subsidized while the top layer of consumers pays over the average cost of a unit to compensate a part of the subsidy, and the balance subsidy is borne by the treasury.
“My personal opinion is that every layer should be Rs. 56.90 per unit and a direct cash allowance for low-income families”, he added.
Latest News
President and representatives of IMF discuss progress of EFF

A comprehensive discussion regarding the progress of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) took place on Thursday (06) at the Presidential Secretariat, between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and the IMF delegation.
The current government has already reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on the third review regarding the extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of USD3 billion.
The details of this review are expected to be presented to the International Monetary Fund’s Board of Directors by the end of this month. In this regard, discussions were held regarding the progress and the government’s involvement in continuing the program moving forward.
Once the approval is granted by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka is expected to release the fourth tranche of the extended loan, amounting to 333 million dollars.
The discussion was also attended by IMF Executive Director Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Alternate Executive Director Dr. P. K. G. Harischandra, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwadana, and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.
News
New Commanders of the Tri-Forces meet the President

The newly appointed Commander of the Tri-Forces met with Commander-in-Chief, President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Thursday (6th) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat.
The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, the new Army Commander; Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, the new Navy Commander and Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe, the new Air Force Commander.
Following tradition, the new commanders formally met with the President after assuming their duties. During the meeting, they also presented the President with a commemorative token.
News
Musk reveals ‘crazy waste’ of USAID funds in Sri Lanka

USD 7.9 mn spent on teaching Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”
USAID has spent $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”, Elon Musk who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said in a post on X on Thursday.
Musk called it a “Crazy waste of your tax money!”
Musk’s criticism came with a detailed breakdown of USAID’s spending across various countries, which he argued reflects misguided priorities. According to a document Musk shared, USAID has funded a range of projects globally, including $20 million for a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan, and $6 million to transform digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles.
The list also included $1.5 million for art projects promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities and $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala. $10 million worth of USAID-funded meals, allegedly ended up in the hands of an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, the document states.
Other USAID programmes include $25 million for Deloitte to promote green transportation in Georgia, $6 million for tourism development in Egypt, and $2.5 million to foster inclusion in Vietnam. The documents also pointed to $5 million awarded to EcoHealth Alliance, a group linked to bat virus research at the Wuhan lab, and $20 million for an organisation tied to what Musk described as a “key player” in the Russiagate impeachment inquiry.
Further funds were allocated for various LGBT-related initiatives worldwide, including $5.5 million for LGBT activism in Uganda, $6.3 million for men who have sex with men in South Africa, $3.9 million for LGBT causes in the western Balkans, and $6 million for advancing LGBT issues globally. Additionally, $2 million was allocated to promote LGBT equality through entrepreneurship in Latin America, while $1.5 million was designated for LGBT advocacy in Jamaica.
The data also highlighted spending closer to home, with $1.2 million going to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., build a 440-seat auditorium. A further $1.3 million was provided to Arab and Jewish photographers, while $1.1 million supported an Armenian LGBT group.
Musk criticised other expenditures as well, including $3.9 million for artisanal gold mining in the Amazon and $500,000 aimed at solving sectarian violence in Israel just days before the October 7 Hamas attack.
Attention was also drawn to USAID’s $150 billion “whole-of-agency” climate strategy, which outlines efforts to build an “equitable world” while pursuing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
-
News6 days ago
New Bangalore-Jaffna flights in the works
-
News4 days ago
CID questions top official over releasing of 323 containers
-
News6 days ago
Cardinal says ‘dark forces’ behind Easter bombs will soon be exposed
-
News6 days ago
HRCL reports on Rohingya asylum seekers
-
Features5 days ago
A singular modern Lankan mentor – Part II
-
Features5 days ago
Bharath Rang Mahothsav Parallel Festival in Colombo
-
News6 days ago
Ishadi Amanda makes history as First Runner-Up at 40th Mrs. World Pageant
-
Business7 days ago
Dialog partners with EcoMatcher to launch transparent, tech-driven tree planting in Sri Lanka