PUCSL members defy Chairman to approve CEB’s exorbitant tariff hike proposal

Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake last night said that fellow members of the commission have rejected his proposal to increase the electricity tariff by 36% and have instead granted approval to increase the tariff by 66% as requested by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). 

Ratnayake said the PUCSL reviewed the CEB proposal which would place an additional Rs. 287 billion annually on electricity consumers and he decided to reduce it to a fairer amount of Rs. 142 billion. However, the chairman said, other members of the commission Attorney at Law Chathurika Wijesinghe, Douglas Nanayakkara and S.G. Senaratne opposed his proposal and rejected it. 

Ratnayake called the new tariff hike set to be implemented commencing today illegal and said it would put the public under severe pressure and will also have a severe impact on the entire economy. 

The Chairman alleged that the fellow members have by granting permission for the exorbitant tariff hike violated the Public Utilities Commission Act and the Sri Lanka Electricity Act.