News
IESL objects to proposed Electricity Reforms Bill
View(s):By Niranjala Ariyawansha
The IESL alleges that in the new Electricity Reforms Bill, the full power to control the power sector has been assigned to the minister in charge.
They claim that if the gazetted Bill is passed, the damage it may cause to the country is huge and irreversible.
“Unlike any other sector, if the electricity sector collapses, the entire country can collapse. In the new bill, a large number of such undesirable matters should be removed and a new bill should be prepared in proper consultation with subject experts,” Eng Janak Aluthge told a press conference on Friday.
“The recently gazetted electricity bill fails to adhere to basic principles of reforming the electricity sector. It is widely recognised that the institution regulating the electricity sector should be independent, but the bill in question does not follow this basic principal,” Dr Asanka Rodrigo said. He pointed out that the power to regulate the electricity sector has been handed over to the National Advisory Council (NAC) in the new Bill and the authority to give orders to the council has been given to the minister in charge.
“There are 7 members of the council, 4 including the Secretary of the Ministry, the other three are Government officials. Out of the 7 people, only one person is appointed from the power sector, it doesn’t matter if there are people from other sectors. But the majority and leadership of this should be taken only by experts in the power sector”, he said.
Eng Aluthge emphasised the importance of the long-term generation plan, which is drafted by experts with wider knowledge of the Ceylon Electricity Board and approved by the Sri Lanka Public Utilities Commission. He raised concerns over a new draft Bill that grants the minister the authority to alter the Plan, with final approval resting in the hands of the Cabinet.
He pointed out that the power of approving the long-term generation plan in the draft Bill being delegated to the Cabinet was a serious political blunder.
IESL called upon the Government to review these short comings and amend the proposed Bill to ensure the above and other serious deficiencies pointed out by their detailed report are rectified. Without revisions, this Bill will further aggravate problems of governance, unreliability, and high costs that have plagued the electricity sector for decades, they said.
Former General Managers of CEB, Nihal Wickramasuriya and Shavindranath Fernando, Professor Lilantha Samaranayake, University of Peradeniya, Deputy Chairman of IESL, Eng Kosala Kamburadeniya and a power sector expert Dr Tilak Siambalapitiya participated in the media briefing.
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