Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed that the government’s decision to increase electricity tariffs by 18% for consumers using over 180 units is an attempt to place the burden on the public.

In a special statement, he alleged that the tariff increase was linked to the import of substandard coal and noted that requests not to pass the cost onto consumers had been ignored.

Premadasa further stated that the new tariffs have severely affected the upper middle-class, businessmen, industrialists and entrepreneurs.