COLOMBO (NewsRadio); Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Janaka Ratnayake claims he will not consider any proposals that come through the Cabinet of Ministers to increase electricity tariff.
Speaking during a media briefing in Colombo today, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said he has received information that a proposal is expected be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow.
He said efforts are being made to bypass and misinterpret the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka Act, and increase electricity tariff.
The PUCSL Chairman noted that under the pretext of formulating general policy guidelines where such guidelines are issued through the Minister, efforts are being made to revise electricity tariffs.
Janaka Ratnayake said the process to increase electricity tariff is clearly detailed in the Act.
He said therefore he will only consider requests made through the Ceylon Electricity Board.
PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake stressed that the there is no basis for another electricity tariff hike just four months after the last one.
According to the proposal to be presented to the Cabinet by Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera, both unit and fixed charges will be increased significantly.
According to the proposal seen by NewsRadio, per unit charge for consumers who use between 1 and 30 units a month will be increased to Rs.30 from Rs.8.
Meanwhile, those who use between 31 and 60 units a month will have to pay Rs.37 from Rs.10 at present.
Electricity consumers who use between 61 and 91 units will be required to pay Rs.42 per unit from Rs.16, if the proposal is approved. No increases have been proposed for consumers who use above 91 units per month.
Meanwhile, the monthly fixed charges will also be increased if the approval is given. Those who use between 1 and 30 units per month will have to pay Rs.400 from Rs.120.
Those who use between 31 and 60 units will be required to pay Rs.550 from Rs.240 while the fixed charge imposed on consumers who use between 61 and 90 units per month will increase from Rs.360 to Rs.650.
The fixed charge for those using between 91 and 120 and 121 and 180 units per month will increase to Rs.1,500 from Rs.960 while the charge for those using more than 181 units per month will be increased to Rs.2,000 from Rs.1,500.
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera claimed that the electricity tariff increase is necessary since the CEB is continuing to incur losses despite a tariff revision only four months ago in August.
