A senior business leader has condemned Sri Lanka’s proposed electricity tariff revision as deeply unfair, stating that it would place a crushing burden on the country’s poorest consumers while actually reducing bills for high-end users.

Dr. Lakmal Fernando, Deputy President of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, made the remarks at the final session of a nationwide public consultation process conducted by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) at the BMICH in Colombo today (19).

The most alarming figure he presented was related to low-income households.

Dr. Fernando said consumers using the least electricity, generally the poorest members of society, faced a bill increase of approximately 1,375%, while those consuming around 1,000 units a month would see their costs fall significantly, from Rs. 56,000 down to Rs. 18,876.

He said the proposed system was neither fair nor equitable, noting that it appeared to have been designed to benefit a single individual rather than the public at large.

Dr. Fernando also raised concern about coal quality, stating that passing losses caused by inferior quality coal onto the general public was not only unjust but illegal.

The public consultation process, initiated at provincial level from 25 February, was held to gather public input on a tariff revision proposal submitted by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The CEB has requested a 13.56% tariff increase for the April to June 2026 quarter to address a projected revenue shortfall of Rs. 15.8 billion.

The PUCSL is expected to announce its final determination on the proposed tariff adjustment before the end of the month.

( Source- The Leader)