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Minister pushes for power tariff hike: PUCSL Chairman refuses to budge

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By Chaminda Silva

Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake yesterday said that his outfit would frustrate attempts being made to jack up power tariffs.

He said that Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera had no authority to increase the tariff in an ad hoc manner.

“The Minister needs the approval of the PUCSL to increase the electricity tariff. If the Minister increases it without our approval, we will take legal action,” he said.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had been making profits since the tariff was increased in August 2022, he said.

“Another price hike in quick succesion cannot be justified; it will have an adverse impact on the people and the industries reeling from current economic chaos,” he said.

Ratnayake added that the CEB had not submitted any request for a fresh increase in electricity tariff.

“There is a way of revising the tariff. The CEB has to present a proposal and then we decide whether to approve it.

There is no point in placing a proposal to increase tariffs before the Cabinet. Probably, the Minister is trying to scare the people,” Ratnayake said, adding that the Minister and the CEB could not ask for a tariff hike based on the possibility of power cuts.

Minister Wijesekera recently said that there would be severe power cuts unless a 65 percent tariff increase was effected.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Power Champika Ranawaka has rubbished the government’s claim that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is incurring losses, and questioned the validity of the load forecasting for 2023, upon which the CEB’s decision to jack up power tariff again is based. Ranawaka is reported to have said the country’s daily electricity consumption is 37 Gigawatt hours, and the CEB’s claim that it will increase to 48 Gigawatt hours next year is far-fetched, and the CEB has not factored in a decrease in the demand for power in the current depressed circumstances.



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Majority of the population lacks trust in elections and the political system – President

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During his address at the ‘2023/2024 National Law Conference’ held at the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the majority of the population, including the youth lacked trust  in elections and politics .

The President further emphasized that while the re-establishment of law and order, as well as political and economic stability, is crucial, it does not imply that Sri Lanka has completely overcome the crisis. He emphasized the necessity of making significant commitments in the future to ensure the success of the entire process.

 

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Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has audience with King and Queen consort of Thailand

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The King referred to the long-standing Buddhist ties between the two countries and said that fond memories of his visit to Dalada Maligawa in Kandy 30 years ago when he was the Crown Prince is still in his heart.

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Commit to safeguard Buddhism and preserve the invaluable Buddhist heritage – President

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Poson message urged everyone to commit to safeguard Buddhism and preserve the invaluable Buddhist heritage gifted to us by the arrival of Arahat Mahinda Thera in our land.

He said that Poson Poya Day is of the highest significance to Sri Lankan Buddhists as it marks the historic arrival of Arahat Mahinda Thera to our Motherland with the message of the Buddha, paving the way to create a new meaningful identity as well as a cultural renaissance.

 

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