The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak at the Second Reading debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amendment) Bill.

¶ 02 In discussing this Bill, I wish to reveal several matters that occurred in 2025 relating to investments. In 2021, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in power, Expressions of Interest were called for 47 renewable energy projects; 533 proposals were submitted. After the current Government assumed office in November 2024, this process moved forward. In November 2025, the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, Prof. Hemapala, wrote to the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) under reference PE/DEV/02/04, instructing that licenses be issued to seven entities selected from a shortlist of 47.

¶ 03 The seven entities were: 1. Solar Forge Batticaloa Limited – 100 MW solar at Ottamavadi; 2. Seek Energy (Pvt) Ltd – 100 MW solar at Punani; 3. Asia Wind Power Ltd – 50 MW wind at Kalpitiya; 4. 3W Power Management Ltd – 100 MW solar at Nilaveli, Trincomalee; 5. Orbital Energy (Pvt) Ltd – 100 MW solar at Muttur, Trincomalee; 6. Bluesun Technology Ltd – 50 MW solar at Trincomalee; 7. Ceylon Electric Power Development Ltd – 50 MW solar at Jaffna.

¶ 04 All were granted without calling tenders, despite a Cabinet decision that no project would be awarded without tenders. Further, for 100 MW solar projects, the tariff is set at Rs. 18 per unit, whereas earlier 10 MW solar projects were at Rs. 17 per unit—tariffs should reduce with scale, not increase. For wind, the last awarded unit tariff was Rs. 11.80 (about USD 3.77 cents), but the new wind projects are at around Rs. 20 per unit. Who is pocketing these commissions? Calculations show over Rs. 20 billion in excess costs to the Government.

¶ 05 There are transparency issues. Two of the awarded companies belong to two famous Sri Lankan cricketers who regularly appear with the President; I refrain from naming them, but this is shameful. Another case: Bluesun Technology Ltd was neither in the 2024 shortlist nor a proposer, yet after acquiring NEM—a company previously linked to the present Power Minister’s former firm—Bluesun secured a project. This contradicts claims of transparency.

¶ 06 Previously, the President awarded a 50 MW Mannar wind project to a company that was rejected by the Tender Board and on appeal, bypassing due process—allegedly because of financial connections to his office at Pelawatte. People did not give this mandate to repeat past corrupt practices; yet greater theft is occurring within a year and four months.

¶ 07 There has been silence on the “300 containers” issue; and for 11 months, no Auditor-General has been appointed. An acting Auditor-General with 30 years in the Department has not been confirmed. Why?

¶ 08 Hon. Deputy Speaker, this Government claimed it would govern transparently. What we see today is that transparency has gone underground; instead, we see “piercing” without tenders. Thank you.