• Energy Minister claims Govt. hoping to keep tariffs unchanged but notes role of same in debt repayment 

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is to submit the proposal related to the second electricity tariff revision for the year (2025) to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) by 15 May.

The PUCSL earlier said that it expects the CEB to submit the proposal related to the second electricity tariff revision of the year (2025) within the coming week. The PUCSL Corporate Communications Director Jayanat Herat stated that if there is to be a revision of electricity tariffs next month (in June) or in July, the relevant proposal should be submitted to the Commission this month (in May). Speaking to The Daily Morning, Herat said that if there is to be a tariff revision in July, the CEB should submit the relevant proposal by the end of the second week of May.

Once the proposal related to the electricity tariff revision is received, the Commission is scheduled to study the content and announce its decision within three to six weeks. During this period, public opinions will also be called for regarding the proposed revisions at a public consultation session which will be held at the provincial level.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) requested a revision of electricity tariffs, and accordingly, the Government announced that tariff changes will be made.

However, as of now, the CEB has not yet submitted the necessary proposal to the PUCSL. When queried by The Daily Morning as to when they would submit the relevant proposal, the CEB's Chairperson, Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya said that they had agreed to make the relevant submission by 15 May.

The first tariff revision of this year took place on 17 January, and there, the PUCSL decided to reduce tariffs by 20%, whereas the CEB had proposed that the tariff rates that prevailed at that time be continued.

However, the Government hopes to maintain electricity tariffs unchanged in the current situation, Minister of Energy, engineer Kumara Jayakody stated in the Parliament. He made this assertion in response to a question raised by Opposition Parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera where the latter questioned as to whether the Government will take steps to increase electricity bills in the future as per the wishes of the IMF. Responding to this, Jayakody stated that although the Government has no intention to increase tariffs, electricity tariffs play a major part in the country’s debt repayment.