The Hon. Kumara Jayakody

Jathika Jana balawegaya· National List· 6 August 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Question: Ceylon Electricity Board Power Cut Decision (Q.1/2025)

Public FinanceInfrastructureParliamentary Procedure

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Hon. Kumara Jayakody said the Government had not removed consumer rights and argued that some criticisms related to provisions not contained in the 2024 Act. He stated that the Amendment Bill had been considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee, including proposals from the Opposition, though some were rejected by court, and said the PUCSL should regulate water, electricity and petroleum more broadly. He announced that an Energy Transition Act covering the wider energy sector would be brought before Parliament by the end of the year or early next year.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, those who once removed the PUCSL Chairman now question us.

¶ 02 We have not removed consumer rights in any way. Please allow me to answer. We will protect consumer rights—unlike you. The matters cited are not even in the 2024 Act; that was not our Government’s Act. We have brought the Amendment Bill and presented proposals, including those from your side, at the Sectoral Oversight Committee—as the Chair stated today. The court rejected some. Further, the PUCSL cannot be confined to electricity alone; it must address water, electricity, and petroleum broadly. We are not taking a narrow view limited to electricity bills.

¶ 03 After this Bill is passed, our next step is to bring an Energy Transition Act to Parliament, covering the broader energy sector, considering your proposals and addressing gaps. Do not doubt our commitment to operate the energy sector effectively and securely. We will bring it before year-end or early next year.

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Wednesday, 6 August 2025 ·No. 1755159820030645 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Kumara Jayakody. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 6 August 2025. No. 1755159820030645. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/17076