‘Power minister caused dispute violating consensus on amendment’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera (SLPP) has accused dissident SLPP lawmaker Gevindu Cumaratunga of hindering much needed reforms meant to improve the electricity sector.The Matara District lawmaker alleged that the National List MP simply repeated unsubstantiated claims on the basis of false information that had been provided by various interested parties hell-bent on disrupting the proposed reforms.

Minister Wijesekera regretted the inclusion of the leader of ‘Yuthukama’ civil society organisation among SLPP National List MPs. At the last general election, the SLPP secured 17 National List slots at the last parliamentary polls conducted in August 2020.

Minister Wijesekera and MP Cumaratunga recently clashed in Parliament over similar issues, including the recently gazetted Electricity Bill and the unprecedented discontinuation of electricity supply to consumers by the CEB and LECO (Lanka Electricity Company) over their failure to settle outstanding bills due to dire economic situation.

Minister Wijesekera alleged that MP Cumaratunga pursued a personal agenda at the expense of electricity sector reforms that were meant to address challenging developments in the expanding electricity sector.

During the heated exchange of words over the power sector issues, MP Cumaratunga emphasized that Minister Wijesekera acted contrary to a consensus reached between the government and the Opposition. Had Minister Kanchana as agreed included an amendment meant to ensure regulatory mechanism in respect of power generation, the ongoing dispute could have been avoided, MP Cumaratunga told The Island.

Referring to the adoption of ‘Sri Lanka Electricity Amendment Bill’ without a specific amendment on June 09, 2022 during the tail end of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency, MP Cumaratunga said that the original Electricity Act subjected power generation regardless of the size/capacity of particular project to tender process. Minister Wijesekera did away with that thereby creating an environment for corruption, MP Cumaratunga said, adding that the Opposition pressed for a regulatory mechanism.

“Following talks with concerned parties, an agreement was reached on an amendment to address our concerns,” MP Cumaratunga said. In accordance with that, the Minister agreed to free generation of up to 10 megawatts of tender procedures while generation of 10 to 100 megawatts was to be subjected to tenders, MP Cumaratunga said. The projects meant to generate 100 megawatts or more were to be subjected to parliamentary approval, MP Cumaratunga said, declaring that was the most important provision proposed by the Opposition. “Minister Wijesekera simply discarded the consensus on the agreement.”

Responding to another query, MP Cumaratunga said that in spite of the importance of the bill before the parliament, quite a number of MPs skipped the vote. Had there been any intervention by an external party to discourage MPs from voting against the bill.

Following the debate on the second reading of the bill, the Opposition called for a vote. According to MP Cumaratunga 120 votes were cast in favor and 36 were cast against. 13 Members of Parliament abstained from casting their vote. Thereby, the second reading was passed by a majority of 84 votes, he said.

Cumaratunga questioned Minister Wijesekera in parliament as to why he increased electricity tariffs having repeatedly promised that the new Amendment was meant to prevent further hikes in electricity. In addition to that the moves were afoot to privatize the CEB in the name of restructuring, MP Cumaratunga alleged, pointing out contrary to his assurances the state enterprise and the consumers were not safe today.

MP Cumaratunga urged Minister Wijesekera to review his power sector strategy anew and take tangible measures to reassure the CEB and the consumers as well.

Responding to MP Cumaratunga’s criticism of the electricity amendment bill, Wijesekera said that those who had painted an extremely negative picture of that initiative alleged that the enactment would swiftly lead to privatization of the CEB. “They expressed fears that the CEB would be abolished. Did such a thing happen following the introduction of the Amendment Bill? Scare stories and lies were propagated at the expense of the national economy.”

Minister Wijesekera challenged MP Cumaratunga to reveal just one instance the government accepted an unsolicited bid outside the laid down procedures in terms of the Electricity Amendment Act. Minister Wijesekera declared that the government hadn’t cleared a single project outside the procedures in place since the enactment of the new law. “What we really did was to rectify faults that had been caused at the time the government amended the Act in 2014. The 2022 enactment of the Electricity Amendment bill allowed the launch of projects that were held up since 2014. As a result of measures taken by the current dispensation, people were encouraged to invest in the renewable energy sector.”

Minister Wijesekera said that investors couldn’t be attracted unless the government was in a position to pay them.

MP Cumaratunga exchanged words with Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa who had been on the chair at the time the parliament took up the electricity sector reforms.

Minister Wijesekera again challenged MP Cumaratunga to reveal one unsolicited bid. MP Cumaratunga emphasized that the issue at hand was the creation of an environment to engage in corrupt practices.Minister Wijesekera assured that under no circumstances could procedures be violated as every project required the approval of the Public Utilities Commission.