The Electricity Consumers’ Association has raised serious concerns over the consultation process for the proposed National Electricity Policy, describing it as inadequate and legally questionable.National Secretary of the Association, Sanjeewa Dhammika, said he had been given only 30 minutes to present his views on the policy at a meeting held on Wednesday (21) at the Ministry of Power and Energy.

He said that although six members had been appointed to the National Policy Committee, only three were present at the meeting, casting doubt on the credibility and seriousness of the process.

Dhammika also criticised the absence of Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, who is widely reported to have drafted the policy, from the committee meeting.

“He wrote the policy and then walked away. We didn’t even get a chance to question him,” Dhammika said.

He alleged that the consultation lacked proper notice and planning, noting that he had been informed only by a phone call the previous evening and asked to attend the meeting the following morning.

“This is not how public views should be obtained on a national policy. It should have been done well in advance, in a systematic and transparent manner. It wasn’t even communicated to the media,” he said.

Comparing the process to the public consultation mechanisms used by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Dhammika described the exercise as a “makeshift, token process.”

He also raised concerns over the composition of the committee, stating that the inclusion of a retired senior official of the Ceylon Electricity Board—whom he said bears responsibility for the current state of the power sector and continues to favour coal power while opposing renewable energy—was a serious issue.

According to Dhammika, the proposed National Electricity Policy has been drafted in violation of existing laws.

“Under the current law, the authority to determine electricity tariffs lies with the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. Through this new policy, there is an attempt to remove those powers from the Commission,” he alleged.

He warned that the policy centralises key decision-making powers—including licensing, power plant acquisitions, power infrastructure development, and renewable energy decisions—into the hands of a few individuals, calling it a high-risk approach.

“This is similar to how the Education Act was distorted under the guise of education reforms. It is shocking to see whether this is what the government calls a progressive new law,” he said.

The Electricity Consumers’ Association strongly opposes the formulation of the policy, with Dhammika describing it as “one of the most failed initiatives seen in recent times.”

He said that if implemented in such a haphazard way, the policy would result in higher electricity bills for low-consumption users, while high-consumption users would benefit from reductions of approximately 38% to 45%.

Dhammika also alleged that the policy discourages the solar power industry and promotes a diesel- and coal-dependent energy model driven by vested interests aligned with oil-based power generation.

By Anuradha Hiripitiyage ✍️