The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra - Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Chairman.

¶ 02 Listening to the Opposition, it seems they are actually afraid of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Marx wrote, “A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of Communism.” To compare Mr. Wickremesinghe with Communism is an insult to Communism. The Opposition is haunted by the specter of Mr. Wickremesinghe and thinks we are too. We are not.

¶ 03 On the Energy Ministry’s Head and the Electricity Act: it is clear how our policy differs from previous governments. Repeating the same questions daily is tiresome, but let me clarify.

¶ 04 The Leader of the Opposition asked about the IMF — whether we reject it or fear it. First, the SJB must clarify its own position: while their Leader derides the IMF, Hon. Harsha de Silva proudly claims he brought the IMF to Sri Lanka. Resolve your contradictions first. We are not obsessed with Mr. Wickremesinghe.

¶ 05 Regarding the Mannar 50 MW wind tender to Hayleys Fentons: financial evaluation was reopened on 2024-08-16 due to an appeal by Hayleys Fentons — under the previous government’s appeal board, not ours. If it benefits the economy, we have no reason to oppose it. Why do some in SJB seem keen to take it from one firm and give it to another?

¶ 06 On the Electricity Act reforms: this is the clearest indicator of how we differ from past regimes. The previous draft Act under the last government sought to privatize electricity by splitting the CEB into 12 parts, leaving transmission and distribution open to private control because public ownership was not clearly secured. Our policy, presented before the presidential election and endorsed by the people, is different. We are restoring energy sovereignty and halting privatization. We will restructure the CEB — generation, transmission, distribution, and control — into five state-owned entities to improve efficiency, not to privatize. The private sector will continue to participate in generation as now, but transmission will remain 100 percent state-owned, with PPPs only where strategically appropriate, always keeping state control over energy.

¶ 07 Stakeholder consultations were conducted genuinely. We met with IESL, ADB, JICA, World Bank Group, PUCSL, joint chambers, renewable developers’ federations, and others. We explained what we could and could not accept, and why.

¶ 08 On fuel prices: the Opposition wants petrol shed owners’ profits preserved and prices reduced simultaneously — an impossible ask. We do not oppose legitimate profit, but if profits are unlawful — as determined by COPE or courts — we must act in the public interest. Many Opposition MPs have spoken on behalf of petrol shed owners recently, seeking to inflame a non-existent crisis. The CID has reportedly begun inquiries; some attempted to create queues to force concessions. That will not work. We stand with the public, not any lobby.

¶ 09 On “Women in Energy”: the Ministry is preparing a policy to increase women’s participation and leadership in the energy sector. Women — mothers, wives, daughters — are the real household energy managers and are central to energy conservation. This policy deserves recognition.

¶ 10 Thank you, Hon. Chairman.