The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, with regard to the Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill, the Government has now presented lengthy views on this sector. During the election, they said the 2024 Electricity Act brought by the previous Government would be thrown out on coming to power. But after coming to power, realizing they cannot throw it away, they have come to a middle ground: “We made 12 entities into 5; we broke the monopoly; we won’t give to the private sector; therefore, we created a state company; anyone can invest in that company.” If so, isn’t this the same thing, Hon. Presiding Member? You opposed the previous Government’s Act, said you would throw it out on taking office. After taking office, you realized you cannot. Now you are in the middle.

¶ 02 The Minister began by saying the power sector was ruined for 40 years. Yes—by your lot. From the day transformers were set on fire up to 2005, the country could not provide electricity nationwide. In 2005-2015 electricity generation to supply planning was carried out systematically. From 2015 to date, not one major project was implemented. When Uma Oya was being built, you said there were sinkholes; you protested against it. Next, when Sampur power plant was to be built, what did you do? You went to court; then the “Yahapalana” Government made a deal and stopped it. Yet from 2005-2015, we not only provided 100% household electrification, we reduced tariffs. We generated power at one of the lowest costs in the world then, transforming the sector accordingly. It is Norochcholai, not Sampur, that still produces about 33% of the country’s need. You opposed Norochcholai, but after commissioning, tariffs were reduced by 25% and CEB did not make losses; by 2015 CEB was profitable. Since 2015, you opposed Uma Oya, stopped Sampur.