Editorial - Privatisation of the CEB – move towards a national catastrophe

Power has always been a delicate political subject and perhaps nowhere in the world it has become more evident than in the South Asian region where attempts to privatise electricity have played havoc with the lives of people.

While daily break downs, disruptions and power cuts have become part and parcel of everyday life in rest of the region where privatization is being experimented, Sri Lanka continues to be the only country with 24/7 smooth supply of power.



Reeling under high cost of fuel and stress caused by regular brawls with an unsympathetic Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) today the CEB has become the best model for a ‘state victim’ created by an utter lack of collective responsibility among Cabinet colleagues.

Ever since the CEB recorded profit in 2010 after incurring losses for over a decade, it unfairly became the punching bag of intra- alliance ‘power’ manipulations aimed at sabotaging the moves to make the institution a continuous success story. These attempts coupled with erratic weather conditions stood firmly in the way of steady progress.

The results are there for anybody to see today.

A regime which came into power on a strong anti-privatization mandate is today making announcements that it would adopt the regional bad example to ‘teach a lesson’ to an institution which earned profits barely two years ago. As to how it became a loss making body – well the ‘movers’ seems to be suffering from the Chinese whispers syndrome.

Among the slew of factors that had contributed to financial issues at the CEB is the pressure to stick to regime’s populist policies which prevent the power tariffs from keeping pace with inflation. The amateurish and blatantly populist statements made by the seniors at Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) during the last few days on tariff have left one wondering as to whom they are going to punish.

Also the rate at which several senior ministers have come forward to criticise the CEB has left the entire Sri Lankan electorate confused as it is quite an unprecedented phenomenon.