News

Electricity Consumers Association fumes over giving monopoly hold to NFE on supplying LNG

Published

5 years ago

2021/09/30

By Ifham Nizam

The Electricity Consumers’ Association yesterday alleged that the US firm, New Fortress Energy, was gearing up to grab Sri Lanka’s natural gas reserves.

Association’s Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika yesterday told journalists that the authorisation of an agreement for the supply of LNG without any legal background would not result in LNG price control and the American company would squeeze the country when opportunity came to sell gas at arbitrary prices.

Dhammika said that allowing a US company to monopolie the LNG supply iolated the rights of electricity consumers. Although the government claims that the monopoly would be limited to only five years, there is the danger of lasting indefinitely.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has been empowered by the Electricity Act to ensure that electricity is supplied at the lowest possible price, and as a result, transactions that supply electricity at high prices are barred.

The Union pointed out that during the period of good governance, the illegal transaction of buying 600 MW of electricity from Turkish ships berthed at Sri Lankan harbours was avoided because the Public Utilities Commission had powers.

“But there is no agency with any legal powers to regulate LNG supply. In such a scenario, handing over the supply of LNG to a foreign monopoly would push the country’s energy sector into a major crisis,” he warned.

Dhammika said in a statement: More than 2000 MW of LNG power plants are to be constructed in the near future. Accordingly, nearly 50 percent of the installed capacity in the country will be supplied by these power plants. Giving a foreign monopoly the power to decide the fate of 50 percent of the country’s electricity supply will instead result in electricity being generated at the monopoly’s arbitrary prices. Also, as the existing power plants can be powered by diesel, the country will be further victimized by the diesel mafia by supplying diesel instead of LNG at the behest of the LNG company.

Accordingly, the loss to the CEB will be further increased by this illegal transaction. The diesel mafia in the guise of LNG will work to impose that burden on the consumer. Accordingly, laws should be enacted to regulate the supply of LNG and delegate regulatory powers to the Public Utilities Commission before handing over the supply of LNG to a foreign monopoly. Then suppliers should be selected to supply LNG on a transparent basis based on competitive tenders, added Dhammika.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.