The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, before speaking on the Energy Votes, a word on yesterday’s meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi MPs. Many who attended are here. There is a sense of positive signs from the President, despite our anger over throwing out Hon. Shanakiyan Rasamanickam’s Private Member’s Bill on Provincial Council elections.

¶ 02 However, today the President’s Media Division issued a statement saying discussions focused on Provincial Council elections and a new Constitution, and that long-standing issues of the North and East can no longer be addressed through outdated political solutions. After a year, the President has now declared devolution outdated and seeks a new political framework. Is that “Thirteen plus,” “Thirteen minus,” or abolition of the Thirteenth Amendment? This is serious. I tweeted about it. I ask Hon. (Dr.) Sathiyalingam, who speaks after me, to clarify whether the President said the traditional solution is outdated and that a new framework is being considered.

¶ 03 Turning to Energy: the Deputy Minister said all fuel stations will have EV chargers. Let me clarify charger types.

¶ 04 - Mobile chargers: plug-in cables that come with vehicles; a typical 75 kWh EV would take about 20 hours—impractical for commercial use.

¶ 05 - Level 2 AC overnight chargers: typically 8–10 hours for a 75 kWh battery; suitable for homes or workplaces.

¶ 06 - DC fast chargers: the key public infrastructure. How many functional DC fast chargers exist today in Sri Lanka? Are regulations finalized? How many are on expressways, and will new service areas include them? We need an app where available DC fast chargers show green if free and route drivers accordingly.

¶ 07 EV registrations have grown about 15 percent; from under 5,000 earlier, now approaching 10,000, mostly BYD and other Chinese EVs beyond the Nissan Leaf. Consumers have invested around Rs. 15 billion—some vehicles cost Rs. 15–20 million here due to roughly 250 percent taxes, while elsewhere they cost Sri Lankan Rs. 6–7 million. I met a senior academic driving a BYD Atto 3; we must support such users with reliable fast-charging networks and standards.

¶ 08 We need an actionable plan: standards for connectors, uptime SLAs, location targets, expressway coverage, payment interoperability, and transparent tariffs. Only then can EV adoption align with our renewable and decarbonization goals.