The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva
Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva criticized the Government for reversing energy sector reforms and said renewable energy had been undermined by tariff decisions, including reducing a unit rate from Rs. 20 to Rs. 14. He alleged that incorrect cost data on Sobadanavi purchases had been presented to Cabinet, contrasting it with PUCSL figures of Rs. 45 to Rs. 72 per unit, and warned this would benefit diesel-based interests. He opposed any closed-door 18 percent electricity tariff increase, urging the Government to recalculate and stating that any necessary increase should be limited to about 3–4 percent.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 I conclude briefly, Hon. Presiding Member.
¶ 02 Either take the plane to destination properly — argue and save the situation — or jump. Because you have reversed all energy sector reforms. Renewable energy has been destroyed; a unit once at Rs. 20 has been cut to Rs. 14. I showed this last week; no Government answer. The Cabinet was told Sobadanavi purchases at Rs. 20 per unit, but PUCSL indicated between Rs. 45 and 72. Presenting such false data undermines renewables, handing victory to the diesel mafia.
¶ 03 Finally, the Government cannot, behind closed doors, raise electricity by 18 percent. We will not endorse it. Go back and do the math; if absolutely necessary, at most 3–4 percent can get you through.
¶ 04 Thank you.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 20 May 2025 ·No. 1749010823009957 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 May 2025. No. 1749010823009957. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25944