(COLOMBO) – More than one million power disconnections have been imposed on consumers within the past year throughout Sri Lanka, a parliamentary committee has revealed.
According to the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis Gamini Waleboda some 10,69,000 power disconnections were reported last year alone.
He said the Committee has instructed the respective officials to provide some relief to the consumers whose connections were disconnected, which included cutting down the re-connection fee by 50 percent and to allow the outstanding bill to be paid in installments.
He said instructions were also given to formulate a mechanism to provide new connections on a credit basis and pay the full connection fee in installments along with the electricity bill.
Sri Lankans are faced with the highest power bills when compared with consumers in the whole of South Asia while at the same time being the lowest paid in terms of wages and are also forced to undergo a spiraling cost of living.
