The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC

¶ 01 [5.25 p.m.]

¶ 02 Sir, it is regrettable—I was given only two minutes while another had more, but I will proceed.

¶ 03 I support the Motion. This Government speaks with forked tongue. It clearly promised a 30% reduction in electricity bills—people gave you power on that promise. The claimed CEB loss is a bogeyman, perhaps crafted with Government connivance, used to justify endless hikes.

¶ 04 Sri Lanka bears a double cost burden. First, a lock-in to coal despite abundant solar, wind, and hydro—imposing unpriced social costs: polluted air, damaged ecosystems, and health impacts not seen on CEB’s balance sheet but borne by the people. Where is your program for rooftop solar on every home, making the consumer a “prosumer”? I doubt the Government even knows the concept. Second, to satisfy IMF conditionalities, the Government imposed arbitrary hikes based on contrived losses, with CEB showing losses after months of profit to justify pricing. IMF asked for cost-reflective pricing to stop fiscal leakage; instead of reducing inefficiency or transitioning to renewables, you took the laziest route—pass the bill to consumers.

¶ 05 People did not elect you to increase their burdens. Consumers should not pay higher tariffs because of costly coal imports or blind IMF implementation without social safeguards. This is not reform; it is punishing people. Families crushed by inflation cannot also bear CEB mismanagement. Small industries cannot compete when energy costs double overnight.

¶ 06 Do not politicize this. Examine the pricing formula with an open mind. Under the PUCSL framework, the Government has no right to arbitrarily change the unit price outside due process. Reduce the burden on the people and do not raise tariffs.