• CEB employees being assigned to restructured cos.  
• Electricity supply declared essential public service 
• Unions’ work-to-rule action to continue till tmrw. 
• SJB urges Govt. to mge. issues raised by CEB employees within restructuring process 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has firmly stated that the present Government remains consistently committed to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s energy sovereignty, and that there is no intention at any time to hand over the electricity sector to private entities.

The President emphasised that ensuring control over the country’s energy sector is a key Government policy, given its critical role in economic development, national security, and national independence.

President Dissanayake further noted that the Government’s objective is not to privatise but to eliminate the existing inefficiencies within the institutional structure of the electricity sector and to establish a streamlined, well-regulated institutional framework.

President Dissanayake made these remarks while attending a progress review discussion on the ongoing electricity sector reforms, held yesterday (22) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The process of assigning employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to four newly established, fully State-owned companies — established under the implementation of the Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Act, No. 14 of 2025 — has now officially commenced, the Ministry of Energy stated. 

Accordingly, a group of employees of the CEB has taken steps to submit letters expressing their willingness to be affiliated with these newly formed institutions, according to a statement from the ministry. Accordingly, the letters of consent have been officially handed over to the CEB Chairperson Professor Udayanga Hemapala yesterday (22) at the CEB Headquarters.

In line with the Act, four fully Government-owned companies have been established to which the employees will be assigned. The ministry said that based on certain conditions, the CEB employees will be assigned to the National System Operator (Private) Limited, the National Transmission Network Service Provider (Pvt.) Ltd., Electricity Distribution Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., and the Lanka Power Generation (Pvt.) Ltd.

The development indicates that the ongoing restructuring programme – aimed at making structural changes necessary to align the electricity sector with national development goals – is receiving positive support and cooperation from CEB employees, the ministry added.

Earlier, an extraordinary gazette notification has been issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, declaring all services connected to the supply of electricity as essential public services. Exercising the powers vested in him under Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act, No. 61 of 1979, the President has taken steps to designate electricity-related services as essential to the life of the community. The order, issued on 21 September, states that services provided by any public corporation, Government Department, Local Authority, or co-operative society engaged in the supply of electricity are likely to be impeded or interrupted, thereby necessitating the declaration. With this declaration, all services related to electricity supply will now be treated as essential public services with immediate effect. The gazette notification was issued by the Secretary to the President, Dr. N.S. Kumanayake, on behalf of the President.

However, all unions affiliated to the CEB have decided to continue their ongoing work-to-rule action until tomorrow (24).

Meanwhile, the main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) urged the Government to identify addressing the issues raised by protesting CEB employees as an important part of the restructuring process, and opined that the Government has failed to effectively manage that aspect of the process. SJB Parliamentarian, attorney Ajith P. Perera made these statements while addressing the media, in a context where protesting CEB employees have announced their plans to intensify what began as a work-rule-action and the Government declared all electricity-related services essential with effect from the midnight of 21 September. 

Pointing out the importance of addressing those issues and instilling confidence in the employees, he further said: “Restructuring the CEB is essential. In the long-run, continuing to run the CEB in its current form does not benefit the country, the people, the businesses or the employees. However, managing the restructuring process is in a weak state. It has been impossible to win the employees’ trust within the restructuring process.” 

Moreover, he opined that the uncertainty created in CEB employees regarding the restructuring process and also the poor management of the restructuring process will deal a heavy blow to the electricity sector.

PHOTO Venura Chandramalitha