The Hon. S. M. Marikkar

¶ 01 They increased everything; sitting in the mansions of their “patrons,” they are doing the same old things. For 200 units, the electricity bill in Sri Lanka is now Rs. 12,960, whereas in other South Asian countries it is Rs. 4,609. It is 281 percent higher in Sri Lanka. For 300 units, it is the same story: Sri Lanka Rs. 21,860, other South Asian countries Rs. 7,340 — 298 percent higher here. Are you implementing what you promised in your policy statement? Now they do nothing but chant “76 years of a curse.” They used that slogan to win votes. Will repeating it fix anything?

¶ 02 Hon. Chairman, let me give an example you also know as a Colombo District MP. On TikTok and YouTube they said, “This is the 76-year curse; during that period there were thefts, therefore water, electricity, goods, medicine, education supplies are all expensive.” In an ordinary home, the husband brings his salary and gives it to his wife; she must manage the water, electricity, groceries, tuition fees. These people targeted that woman and pumped these messages on social media. The President first said he would reduce taxes on food, health, and education. It has not happened. They said electricity and water tariffs would be reduced; they are not.

¶ 03 They played a psychological game. The woman watching YouTube or TikTok thought: “My husband does not understand my pain; the theft of 76 years caused this. I will vote for Anura Kumara Dissanayake; then within three months the water and electricity bills, prices of goods and medicines will fall.” People voted thinking so. It has been five months; nothing changed. I know this “game.” In my media career, I did similar audience-building: I drove a morning radio show to number one with a 30 percent share. They used such tactics to mislead people. Water and electricity bills have not decreased, nor is there any sign they intend to reduce them.

¶ 04 When in Opposition, government members spoke loudly about an “engineers’ mafia.” In the last Parliament, I was in COPE, as was the present President. When the CEB came before COPE, they all spoke about this mafia. Take a particular power plant in Embilipitiya: I checked — now they say payments are not being made; yet, when extending the agreement for the fourth time, they have paid as if it were the first term. Normally, for a private purchase, in the first term you pay capital plus operating costs; in subsequent extensions, capital should not be in the tariff, only O&M and profit. But they extended to the fourth term and still pay as if capital is due. That plant began around 2007. Even after 16 years, they extended and paid, with unit costs rising sharply — as much as Rs. 103 per unit at times. Without stopping this mafia, we cannot fix the sector. At COPE, when you question the Chairman, he looks to the Board; question from one side, they look to the DGM, AGM, engineers — how will problems be solved like that?

¶ 05 Former Minister Sunil Handunnetti once said on TV, “If Norochcholai breaks down tonight, we know it. If this or that happens, the cooler will break, there will be sparks, lock-ups; this is a mafia.” Now tell us, did Norochcholai break down with your knowledge? According to Sunil Handunnetti, the Minister would have known and yet took no action. In the past, false narratives spread and people were misled; now the truth is catching up.

¶ 06 My question: Are current actions subservient to a power-sector mafia? The CEB itself started a campaign around 2016 saying 1,000 MW could be obtained from one million rooftops. What is the status now? They are pushing the coal and diesel lobbies, discouraging solar by saying output is high at certain hours and causes issues.

¶ 07 Minister, I do not know whether you are aware: Last week I tried to arrange a 20 kW solar panel installation for a temple in Kotikawatta — it cannot be done; the quota is full. Is there any alternative? I am not an engineer, but levelized solar cost is about Rs. 27–28 per unit, while diesel generation costs over Rs. 75 per unit. So what are we doing? Are we, in fact, going to encourage solar or kill it?

¶ 08 We also hear this: When the USD was at Rs. 180, the solar tariff was around Rs. 22 per unit; when the USD rose to Rs. 350, the tariff increased to Rs. 37; now it has been reduced to Rs. 27. Fine. But we hear a Cabinet paper will be brought to cut it to Rs. 20. If a Cabinet paper is coming, it must be by you. Are you bringing such a paper, and if so, why? Is it under pressure from a mafia? We expect answers.

¶ 09 We saw many in this group issuing sermons from on high for decades. They claimed they had answers and solutions to everything. They said, “What is this US$ 41 billion — is it debt? Simple — we will pay it.” Now they whine and cry. Those who lectured from the rooftops must now deliver from the mud. Their current method: summon petrol shed operators to the CID to frighten them. I recall how they once struck, sabotaged, and drove investors away, killing the economy. Now they resort to the same.

¶ 10 Also, your leader Tilvin Silva once made statements about the Sampur power plant. What do you say now?

¶ 11 You said state oil-sector debts were passed to the Central Bank; therefore, upon coming to power, the NPP said they would immediately cut the Rs. 50 fuel levy. Where is it? People await that reduction. Three months on, not a single rupee. On rice too: you import but have not reduced the Rs. 65 import duty. On fuel imports, despite promises, you will not reduce tax components amounting to hundreds of rupees.

¶ 12 You once accused the UNP Government of trying to hand over the 99 Trincomalee oil tanks to India, calling it a sale of the motherland and a threat to national security. The public did not grasp the truth then. If those tanks had been given under proper terms, we could have earned revenue as a regional export hub, and the LTTE could not sabotage it today. We saw on the recent presidential campaign stage you yourselves said you would make Sri Lanka a regional petroleum export centre. We welcome proper integration with the world — we never advocated isolation. Trade must be a bridge to the world. Yet you previously advocated a closed economy.

¶ 13 One more thing: there were massive frauds in the CPC under the last Government. If your Government brings fuel through a G2G agreement with Dubai to end corruption, we will support it.

¶ 14 Finally, during the last fuel crisis, some stole. I raised it before with names. They introduced a “1411” system linking the Central Bank, suppliers, and CPC. When the lowest bidder won, the Central Bank had no dollars to pay. A month later, a higher bidder appeared and suddenly huge dollar amounts were available. CPC loaded rupees; dollars then arrived to pay the higher bidder. No dollars for US$ 5 million for a ship one month, but a month later US$ 55 million was available for a higher bid. Investigate this. Only then can we believe, as Hon. Nalin Bandara said, you are not in bed with the old mansion lords. Otherwise, it looks like you are. Thank you.