The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson, I regret the Minister is absent to answer. This Government came to power claiming to protect the CEB and its workers. The person who said so now chairs a provincial body, while 23,000 CEB employees are left in distress. Over 550 employees have faced internal exams and earned promotions, yet this Government withholds them. Why are promotions denied despite a 2025.08.25 circular halting new recruitments and despite Labour Department recommendations in favour? I table related information.

¶ 02 (Placed in the Library.)

¶ 03 This Government promised a 33 per cent reduction in electricity tariffs. The President said a Rs. 9,000 bill would become Rs. 6,000, and a Rs. 3,000 bill would become Rs. 2,000. Instead, the Government now decides to impose an additional levy on consumers for investment and maintenance of street and public lighting, and to add a further 2.2 per cent to all customer bills to share those lighting costs across categories. None of this was told during elections.

¶ 04 On the coal controversy: the country annually needs about 36–38 coal vessels; 11 have arrived so far—Russian coal—with no known quality issues. Problems are with the new South African coal under the new tender—about 25 vessels reportedly ordered. Coal can be offloaded only from September to end-April; thus tenders should be issued in April and concluded timely. Officials told the oversight committee that Cabinet’s decision was delayed; registered supplier qualifications were also relaxed—from three years and one million tonnes to lower thresholds.

¶ 05 The Government leans on Load Port Reports (supplier’s report), Discharge Port Reports (our agent’s report), and the Norochcholai plant’s operational report. But the definitive evidence of quality is the boiler combustion data and real-time generation. Historically, each of the three units could produce 300 MW; together 900 MW. Looking at real-time consumption and output for the eight recent vessels: reported unit outputs were about 285, 290, 260, 295, 285, 270, 275, and 255 MW—none at 300 MW. The specific coal consumption standard is 0.37 kg/kWh; observed were 0.40, 0.39, 0.43, 0.38, 0.40, 0.48, 0.40, 0.44—none meeting 0.37. Hence the coal is low-grade.

¶ 06 Consequences: more coal must be ordered to achieve the same output, or diesel generation must fill the gap—enriching the diesel power mafia—raising tariffs on consumers. An April tariff hike is already proposed, with more to follow.

¶ 07 Lower-grade coal also harms equipment. While tender specs cite GCV 6,150, operation is acceptable 5,900–6,150; but we have evidence of coal below 5,900. I ask the Minister to answer plainly: did any of these eight cargoes enable 300 MW per unit? And did specific consumption meet 0.37 kg/kWh?

¶ 08 I reiterate based on scientific, real-time data: low-grade coal has been imported. We demand a transparent investigation into centralised coal procurement corruption. We will not permit consumers to bear these losses. If needed, we will take to the streets to ensure the Government, led by the Minister, bears responsibility.

¶ 09 Thank you.