Rohini Kaviratne, former Member of Parliament for Matale District, has voiced concerns over the halting of restructuring efforts within the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which, according to her, may violate both the Sri Lanka Electricity Act and the government’s commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The restructuring, a national policy aimed at creating an efficient, cost-reflective energy sector, was halted by a recent letter from CEB General Manager K. G. R. F. Comester, suspending the assignment of CEB employees to four designated successor companies.
This sudden pause in restructuring contradicts the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024, which mandates that employees be assigned to the new entities within four months of the Act’s passage. The Act requires staff to declare their willingness to join these companies within two months, with full operational compliance by June 2025. Kaviratne criticized Comester’s move as unauthorised, warning that this could open doors for corruption in the energy sector.
Kaviratne alleges that halting reforms could enable emergency power purchases and coal project dealings to re-emerge, which may threaten transparency in the sector. Additionally, she cautioned that abandoning essential projects, such as the Rajagiriya stilt railway, might result in financial penalties for the government and risk damaging relationships with international partners, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JICA, and USAID.
Her statement underlines the potential impact of these disruptions, emphasizing that derailing the restructuring process could jeopardize Sri Lanka’s compliance with the IMF and international agreements, creating diplomatic strains.
