Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says that there is a risk of going back to the queue era if Electricity tariffs are not increased.
Speaking to reporters, the Minister said that even after the recent tariff revision, only around Rs. 35 billion is added monthly to the CEB. He further said that in January alone Rs. 38.45 billion is needed for coal for power supply.
The Minister went on to add that coal required for power generation needs to be procured before 25th April as after that Coal shipments cannot be brought in until September.
He further said that the Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation has informed the CEB that additional Rs. 5 billion worth of fuel is needed to supply uninterrupted power during the Advanced Level examinations, which cannot be afforded at the moment.
“A tariff revision is the hardest decision the Government or a Minister can take. You can imagine the situation why we are compelled to increase tariffs at a time we are facing an election” he further said (NewsWire)