By Ifham Nizam 

A heated debate has emerged regarding the composition of the committee tasked with revising Sri Lanka’s Electricity Act. Concerns have been raised over the dominance of electrical engineers in the committee, the presence of individuals with potential conflicts of interest, and the apparent lack of specialists in key areas such as finance, corporate governance, and law.

Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe, a prominent voice in the energy sector, has highlighted significant issues with the makeup of the nine-member committee, excluding the Additional Secretary who acts as the coordinator. According to his analysis, the composition of the committee is as follows:

Electrical Engineers: 9 out of 9

University Academics: 6 out of 9

State Utility Heads (undergoing restructuring): 2 out of 9 (potential conflict of interest)

Non-Sri Lankan Citizens: 1 out of 9

Private sector representatives: 1 out of 9

Lawyers: 0 out of 9

Finance specialists: 0 out of 9

Corporate executives (with experience in raising capital): 0 out of 9

Governance, Reform, and Global Power Market Specialists: 1 out of 9

NPP Political appointees/trade union representatives: 4 out of 9 (estimated)

Ralapanawe argues that power sector reform is not an engineering exercise but an economic, governance, and market transformation process. The goal should be to ensure financial viability, efficiency, competition, transparency, and consumer protection.

The lack of expertise in finance and corporate governance, he warns, could lead to a sector that remains heavily dependent on government funding and international donor agencies such as the ADB and JICA. He also points out that certain provisions in the revised Act appear to preserve the existing monopoly structure of the CEB, potentially influenced by individuals with conflicts of interest. Additionally, the proposed market structure has been criticised as unclear and unworkable by global energy experts.

Dr. Ralapanawe is of the view that without a diverse and competent team, the reforms risk reinforcing past inefficiencies rather than creating a sustainable, modernised power sector.

He calls for the removal of conflicted members and the inclusion of specialists in law, finance, governance, and market structures before proceeding to the next stage of reform.

This development raises serious questions about the direction of Sri Lanka’s energy sector transformation and the ability of the committee to deliver meaningful and effective reforms, Dr. Ralapanawe says.