News
Govt. blames past for CEB’s continuing woes
Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody told Parliament yesterday (22) that the debt-ridden and mismanaged Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) couldn’t be turned around within 10 or 11 months, citing decades of political interference and corruption.
“The CEB was destroyed over decades by giving free electricity to ministers and their cronies and taking on unsustainable loans. It cannot be fixed overnight,” the Minister said, responding to a question raised by SJB Puttalam District MP Hector Appuhamy.
Jayakody outlined the government’s plan to restructure the CEB under the recently passed Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Act No. 14 of 2025 and the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024. The reform will see the creation of six fully government-owned companies, each handling specific operations currently managed by the CEB.
The new entities are National System Operators Pvt Ltd, National Transmission Network Providers Pvt Ltd, Electricity Generators Lanka Pvt Ltd, Electricity Distributors Lanka Pvt Ltd, Energy Ventures Lanka Pvt Ltd and CEB Employees Fund Pvt Ltd.
“These companies will be 100% state-owned and accountable to the Treasury. They are registered under the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007, but ownership will remain fully with the government,” the Minister clarified.
Raising a supplementary question, MP Appuhamy accused the government of attempting through the CEB to hike electricity tariffs recently, a move he claimed was thwarted by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).
“The only reason electricity bills didn’t go up was because the PUCSL blocked the attempt. This goes against the NPP’s election promises to reduce tariffs,” Appuhamy said.
In response, Jayakody acknowledged that a 6.8% tariff hike had been proposed but was rejected by the PUCSL, a body responsible for regulating utility pricing.
“Both the CEB and the PUCSL are states institutions. The CEB may propose increases but PUCSL is there to regulate it. When we took office, there was already a proposal to increase electricity rates by 38%. Though some revisions have taken place, we are still under a 5% increase overall. The 38% hike has been completely shelved,” the Minister stated.
He reiterated that reforming a heavily politicised and financially crippled institution like the CEB was a complex, long-term process. “For years, the CEB was prevented from collecting dues from powerful individuals. Reversing that damage takes more than a few months,” he said.
By Saman Indrajith
Latest News
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued early warnings to the Districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 1600hrs on 13th June 2026 till 1600hrs on 14th June 2026.
Accordingly,
LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surounding areas of Palindanuwara and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district, Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya and Ayagama, Pelmadulla,
Godakawela, Elapatha, Kalawana, Ratnapura and Nivithigala in the Ratnapura district.
News
INS Sharda departs Colombo concluding replenishment visit
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sharda’ departed the island today (13 Jun 26), concluding her replenishment purposes.
On departure the vessel was accorded a traditional naval farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Port of Colombo.
The visit also paved the way for vibrant personnel interactions, fostering camaraderie and goodwill. The crew of INS Sharda and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy participated in a
friendly volleyball match and a joint yoga session. A
dditionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel had the opportunity to visit the Indian naval vessel, while the visiting crew took time to explore several culturally significant landmarks across the island.
Latest News
Special Dengue Prevention Week declared in Colombo District from June 15 to 21
A decision has been taken to declare a Special Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 of June by the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee to curb the spread of the disease in the Colombo District.
This decision was taken at the meeting of the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee held on Friday (12) at the Colombo District Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases reported this year has increased significantly. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported island wide to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in the Colombo District. Following this situation, the Colombo District has been identified as a high-risk district.
Health authorities informed that the increasing spread of the disease has been influenced not only by the nature of circulating virus but also to the lack of sufficient immunity among the population. They further noted that the recent period of heavy rainfall has aggravated the spread of Dengue.
It was also identified that the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places such as government institutions, private establishments, schools, and religious venues rather than from residential premises. Observations have identified improperly managed solid waste and drainage systems in offices and other public locations as major breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Accordingly, during the Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 June, a series of measures will be implemented, including, organising community clean-up campaigns in government and private institutions, schools, residential areas, and other public spaces; Conducting inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats and taking legal action, where necessary, followed by awareness programmes; Distributing informational leaflets, displaying banners, and carrying out public awareness campaigns through the media. Health authorities also requested school administrations not to involve students below Grade 10 in school cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue.
The programme is expected to receive the active support and participation of the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces, the police, and the general public.
The event was attended by the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Members of Parliament, representatives of local government authorities, government secretaries, police officers, and officials representing the education and health sectors, among others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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