• Says CEB has made Rs. 100 billion loss in 2019, losses since 2016 add up to Rs. 180 billion
• Argues 720MW of emergency power purchased in 2019
  
   

By Ruwandi Gamage

Industrial experts this week highlighted the striking losses the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been making during the past five years, through emergency power purchasing.

Attorney at Law Major Ajith Prasanna

Dr. Nalaka Godahewa

Dushana Widu Nethin member Dr. Priyantha Morapitiya

Dushana Widu Nethin President Eng. Charuke Karunaratne

Dushana Widu Nethin Secretary Eng. Anil Ranasinghe

The organisation ‘Duushana Vidu Nethin’ held a media briefing this week, and said the CEB, along with the Power Ministry, is costing the country a lot of money, and claimed that its poor decision-making with regards to cancellations of electricity power plant projects has put the country facing major losses.

“The Government has not been investing in completing and running new power plants to generate more electricity. Not only have they not set up any new electricity projects for the upcoming years, they have been creating circumstances where they could purchase emergency power without having to call for tenders,” Dr. Nalaka Godahewa stated, speaking at the briefing.

Dr. Godahewa further stated statistics on how from 2016 to 2019, CEB has been making emergency power purchases and has been doing so at an expensive price. According to Dr. Godahewa, CEB has purchased 155MW in 2016, 180MW in 2017, 320 MW in 2018 and plans to purchase 720 MW of emergency power. Dr. Godahewa stated that this purchased power is not included in the country’s assets.

“Recently the Power Minister himself stated that it costs the Government Rs. 23 per unit to generate and distribute power, and that it will cost Rs. 49 per unit to distribute purchased emergency power, hinting that the public will have to incur a hike in the electricity prices. And as per the statistics, since in the year 2019 CEB has had Rs. 100 billion in losses, they will have to raise the price per unit in Rs. 8 for the public,” he added.

Dr. Godahewa claimed it constituted a white-collar theft, and along with other experts warned that if the Cabinet paper aiding this is to pass in Parliament, the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) will be stripped off of its responsibilities, which will allow corrupt practices to take place, in turn making electricity an expensive luxury for the public.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara

Cabinet paper to strip PUCSL of its powers