A promise of cheaper power has turned into a fresh burden, as Sri Lanka’s opposition warns that struggling households are being asked to pay the price for broken pledges and policy reversals.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the government of betraying its electoral mandate by proposing a fresh increase in electricity tariffs, even as thousands of families are still reeling from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Speaking out strongly, Premadasa said the government is now moving towards an electricity tariff hike of 11.57 percent, despite earlier promises made on public platforms that power bills would be reduced. He alleged that this amounts to an effective increase of nearly 33 percent when viewed against previous commitments and past reductions.
The opposition leader recalled how members of the current government, while in opposition, repeatedly told the public that a Rs. 9,000 electricity bill could be reduced to Rs. 6,000 and that a Rs. 3,000 bill could be brought down to Rs. 2,000. “Today, those same voices are silent, while a new increase is being prepared,” he said.
Premadasa argued that the government rose to power promising to build “a rich country with a beautiful life,” but claimed that ordinary citizens are now being pushed toward “a poor country with a poor life,” burdened by rising living costs and utility charges.
He questioned how a government could justify increasing electricity bills at a time when millions have been displaced, livelihoods disrupted, and recovery efforts are still underway after the cyclone. According to him, this move directly contradicts the mandate given by voters who believed in the President’s assurances.
Calling the proposal anti-people, Premadasa urged citizens to unite and rally against what he described as unfair economic pressure on households. He said the opposition strongly condemns any attempt to place unlimited financial strain on the public through broken promises and rising electricity costs.
