Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Wednesday, 15 February 2023 01:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana yesterday called on the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka to inform the National Council of the final decision on the proposed electricity tariff revision.
The move came after it was informed to the National Council that the discussions regarding the electricity tariff held between the PUCSL and the Ceylon Electricity Board had ended without agreement.
The National Council informed the PUCSL and the CEB to arrive at a decision on the matter on Tuesday (14) when the National Council met under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday.
As PUCSL informed the National Council that it would inform of the final decision on electricity bill tariff revision before 15 February, the Speaker said he expects a response from the Commission today(15).
Ministers Kanchana Wijesekera, Tiran Alles, State Ministers D.V. Chanaka, Indika Anur-uddha, MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, Sagara Kariyawasam, Parliament Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Kushani Rohanadeera were present at the Council meeting held yesterday.
On 9 January the Government decided to upwardly revise the electricity tariffs effective from 1 January whilst regulator PUCSL differed insisting it requires further actions.
Thus, PUCSL was given time to further study the proposed revision of electricity charges submitted by the CEB and if any revision is required, to submit the same on or before 15 February 2023.
Till then, the CEB and the PUCSL were to jointly take necessary measures to implement the electricity tariff revision with effect from 1 January 2023 as an interim measure in accordance with the amendments to the Public Policy Guidelines currently in force regarding the Power Industry.
However, the PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake reiterated that there is no provision in the Act for interim tariff adjustment with retrospective effect.
