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Power Minister suggests massive hike in electricity rates

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5 December 2022 10:09 am - 32     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The CEB had estimated that a single unit of electricity would cost Rs 56.90 if the country were to have an uninterrupted power supply in 2023, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said.

"My opinion there should be a uniform Rs 56.90 per unit across the board and a direct cash allowance be provided to low income families," he said.

He said there were 6,709,574 domestic consumers according to CEB billing data and the current average tariff for a unit is Rs 29.14 and the deficit is estimated to be Rs 423.5 Billion.

“0-30 unit-block has 1,460,828 consumers and pays Rs. 8 per unit. 30-60 unit-block has 1,683,172 consumers and pay Rs 10 per unit. 60-90 unit-block has 1,702,515 consumers and pay Rs. 16 per unit. 90-180 unit-block has 1,559,131 consumers and pay Rs.50 per unit. 180+ unit-block has 303,928 consumers paying Rs.75 per unit," the Minister said.

He said the lower layers are heavily subsidized and the top layer pays over the average cost of a unit to compensate for a part of the subsidy.

The balance subsidy is borne by the Treasury, he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)

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  Comments - 32

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  • joshua Monday, 05 December 2022 10:26 AM

    Why should the consumers pay for the sins of CEB who did not allow private players and blocked them, whilst not taking any tangible measures for this crisis? They only get on to the road and shout for increments and higher pay? Should the general public tolerate this nonsense?

    M Fernando Monday, 05 December 2022 09:39 PM

    If the General Public does not tolerate, and gets on the streets to protest to have the right to a decent living, our President knows how to treat them properly !

    Sunil Monday, 05 December 2022 10:26 AM

    This idiot will repeat whatever the figures the engineers at CEB provide him without thinking. How can the people and industries survive if they are requested to pay such colossal bills. Most industries are near collapse.

    Lanka goods often over priced, industries no good Monday, 05 December 2022 02:07 PM

    The dinosaurs died out and quite of lot of industries in Sri Lanka are treated with the care given to white elephants. All protection, and they would never survive competitively internationally. It's a shame for our public they have to buy high priced lanka made goods when democratic countries allow for imports unlimited to provide maximum benefit for consumers, not allowance for big business owners.

    Johan Monday, 05 December 2022 10:52 AM

    What a pathetic... Consumers bare all their mismanagement cost and their lavish salary. CEB has so may field employees, still they pay 80,000 rs to dig hall for each post..

    Eper Monday, 05 December 2022 10:55 AM

    Do not increase the domestic electricity tariff as Our neighboring India charges only INR 6.20 equivalent LKR 29/- per unit.However if you insist, please recover the difference from the treasury as we are not liable to CEB inefficiency and malpractice

    Meter hora Monday, 05 December 2022 11:07 AM

    Fully agree. Getting multiple CEB accounts for a single user will get discouraged. Honest and dishonest will be at a equal footing

    Privatise Monday, 05 December 2022 11:19 AM

    If you can privatise CEB 100% only then will efficency/innovation will increase and corruption will reduce as long as CEB is run by government god only should save the common consumers.

    Dharmatileke Monday, 05 December 2022 11:41 AM

    I believe you Kanchana W, numbers are impressive, my question is how much will you pay solar power sold to you by me?

    Provide power before dawn and after dark and then talk Monday, 05 December 2022 02:09 PM

    I'm sure the Minister will pay much for Solar power you can provide after dark, when most consumers have their lights on. Can you provide solar power after dark, or before dawn?

    Provide power all the time consistantly and talk Monday, 05 December 2022 02:10 PM

    Also, can you provide power when it's overcast or when it's raining. Your unreliable solar power should be bought at the lowest rates, if at all paid for because unreliable power is more trouble than it's worth.

    Premalal Perera Monday, 05 December 2022 12:03 PM

    The CEB is a spending organisation which does not see the logic in accountability because they are a goverment monopoly. These entities should be benchedmarked to some competitive mechanism or privatised. At 56 per unit, our industries would be priced out of the international markets.

    Dee Monday, 05 December 2022 02:09 PM

    Are you a minister or CEB union leader? Just privatise the CEB. General public should not pay for sins of CEB! Get Indians to run CEB.

    Mithun Monday, 05 December 2022 02:11 PM

    Now already we are paying 11000 odd for 200 units. That means we are already paying Rs55 or nearby.

    Willow Drive Monday, 05 December 2022 03:38 PM

    Better off with out electricity from the main grids we will go for solar panels

    Janaka Monday, 05 December 2022 03:40 PM

    There are many doing nothing and getting paid in CEB offices, too many staff you need to reform this business immediately. All political appointments and the burden is on us...Slowly you are killing people legally... that's what it is...

    gamini Monday, 05 December 2022 03:42 PM

    these CEB guys are the ones protesting against privitisation Privatise it and we will get a better srevice at a lower price

    suriya Monday, 05 December 2022 03:44 PM

    time to privatise all loss making state instituions which are over staffed, under performing-CEB, CPC, SriLankan Airlines, even passport and NIC should be privatised-only then people will work

    Lokka Monday, 05 December 2022 03:56 PM

    Every minister has in the past recruited employees to the CEB over and above the required cadre. Now there are 3 people to do one man's s job. This loss making entity is paying bonus to employees. The engineer mafia won't allow renewable energy which can reduce the cost of production. All these are done at the consumers expense. As such the only solution is privatisation.

    Dd Monday, 05 December 2022 04:12 PM

    Dear Minister Please be kind enough to restructure the CEB and discard excess carder so the CEB can be profitable and privatize the place so as to new businesses can be developed and have new alternatives energy solutions so as to be profitable and not nice you reduce the carder the production cost per unit will be reduced, why we the public should be the recipient of mismanaged state enterprises, not this was not done by us the public but the state and incompetent authority jo does not understand management administration and most of all lack the vision to manage and run a profitable venture. It’s not fare for you to burden us

    Ranjith Perera Monday, 05 December 2022 04:41 PM

    Overwhelming majority of people will have to have self impose power cuts on themselves otherwise they have no other option is available to themselves to face this situation.This revised electricity tariffs are exorbitantly high unless they switch on to some other sources of energy.

    Ram Monday, 05 December 2022 05:19 PM

    No one should get the electricity paid by the government. This must includes all official residences of senior public servants and politicians. When we are asked to pay these higher rates why must a section of the community be privileged?

    Lanka Shantha Monday, 05 December 2022 06:08 PM

    Minister give us interrupted power supply at the current rate.

    Terrence K Monday, 05 December 2022 07:11 PM

    Always this government has been on the wrong track by proposing to raise the top bracket price of a unit of electricity at 56 per cent per unit which will result in our organizations becoming completely pushed to the wall with a highly competitive international market. With no competition in the power sector the CEB is occupying a dominant role and a mechanism should be implemented to ensure that the lower layers which are heavily subsidized absorb a reasonable price per unit as cost whilst not burdening the top layers which are paying over the average cost of unit to compensate for a part of the subsidy. The public right throughout have been used to subsidies in every sphere of life and this mindset should be changed whilst also curbing unnecessary wastage at the CEB which has put a heavy burden on the overheads of this organization.

    sam Monday, 05 December 2022 07:31 PM

    Consumers have to pay for govt and CEB inefficiencies. Tariff increases will close many industry, unemployment will rise and give endless headaches to the poorer society.

    Kapila Senaratne Monday, 05 December 2022 08:39 PM

    Ridiculous. In USA average we pay Rs.51 per KWh @ the rate of Rs 365 per dollar conversion. Pretty sure we are heading for a disaster

    Kanchana a Salesman for the union Monday, 05 December 2022 10:34 PM

    Is this a new ruse to bankrupt Lanka? Factories will close, production will cease, there will be nothing to export, no income for State owned enterprises, you cannot run Lanka on empty stomach. Schools will close, Universities, Hospitals, and shops will close. Rogues and looters will roam on Lanka roads. What more do you want? Kanchana came with big bang, now he is selling Union demands.

    Punchi Tuesday, 06 December 2022 03:05 AM

    Why do we need electricity which is a Christian whiteman invention. We can use oil lamps like when Buddha visited our paradise.

    Shelly Tuesday, 06 December 2022 03:07 AM

    Sri Lanka is compatatively such a small country and population. And they still cannot manage to distribute their resources efficiently. The poor and middle class population are always burdened and bearing the bill for the rich to enjoy. This was evident during the power cut due to fuel shortages.

    Sri Tuesday, 06 December 2022 03:26 AM

    This is the end of this government and its idiots.. People are already suffering and now you want to add more oil into injuries...already people have had of MR and co and now Ranil and co...all those people will never learn a lesson in politics...bad politics has done this to this country...Now people don't have any choice but to get rid of them all..

    Sambo Tuesday, 06 December 2022 07:12 AM

    This guy is sitting on his brains. First find out the over staff, corruption in purchasing fuel and coal. I am sure then you can reduce the price.

    Man Tuesday, 06 December 2022 11:29 AM

    How can the Minister assure of uninterrupted power supply if there is no US $ in the country even the rates increased? What an idiot he is elected with the popular votes, in Mathara unless it is a deceitful statement.


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