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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Tuesday, 17 June 2025

10th Parliament· 16 debates· 280 speeches· 56 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1750929357043199 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  5. 5 Oral question Oral Question Q.279/2024: SMS Service for Electricity Bills 7 speeches
    • The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary S.M. Marikkar asked the Minister of Energy for details on the implementation of sending electricity bills via SMS, including when the service began and whether all consumers have registered. He sought figures on unregistered consumers and asked what arrangements are in place to provide bills to those unable to register or without mobile phones.

      Infrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Kumara Jayakody - Minister of Energy JJB

      AI summary The Minister of Energy responded to a question on the electricity bill SMS service, stating that it began about two years ago and is not mandatory. He said 6,964,414 consumers, or about 97.1 per cent of active consumers, had registered by June 2025, while about 204,832 remained unregistered. He added that consumers without mobile phones can receive printed bills on request.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar asked whether the Ceylon Electricity Board would introduce a telephone reminder system before disconnecting electricity for non-payment, particularly for elderly customers using basic mobile phones who may not notice SMS alerts. He emphasized that electricity is an essential service and noted that unexpected disconnections and high reconnection costs create hardship for consumers.

      Law & OrderPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB

      AI summary No call-based notification system is currently used for arrears, with consumers instead informed by SMS. Disconnections are carried out only after more than 16 days of arrears and after repeated notices, while the SMS-based system is presented as a cost-saving alternative to printed bills.

      Cost of Living Full speech →
    • The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar raised concerns about electricity disconnections, noting that consumers may face reconnection charges of around Rs. 3,000 and that SMS alerts may be missed by those using basic phones. He asked whether a reminder phone call could be made one day before disconnection.

      Cost of Living Full speech →
    • The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB

      AI summary Hon. Kumara Jayakody stated that although most consumers are aware of the registration process, a small proportion may not respond under any system. He said introducing general outbound reminder calls would require additional call centre staff and incur significant costs, though targeted measures could be considered if specific problems are identified.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar urged that temporary concessions be provided for low-income elderly electricity consumers facing disconnection. He criticized the Ceylon Electricity Board’s reliance on disconnections and Rs. 3,000 reconnection fees, arguing that reminder calls would be a cheaper and more compassionate alternative, and expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister’s response.

      Cost of LivingPublic Finance Full speech →