Jayakody’s proposals to go before Cabinet tomorrow!

2026-02-08 - 12:09

It is reported that, under the programme to restructure the electricity sector, the Cabinet proposal relating to the National Electricity Policy and the National Electricity Tariff Policy is scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow (09) by the relevant subject minister. The restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board is being carried out under five phases, of which four phases have already been successfully completed. Accordingly, the Basic Assignment Plan, Annual Electricity Procurement Plan, Long-Term Generation Plan, and Long-Term Transmission Development Plan have been completed, the Head of the Electricity Board Transformation Task Force, Pubudu Niroshan, stated recently. However, work has been ongoing on the final phase, the formulation of the National Electricity Policy and the National Electricity Tariff Policy, and it is reported that this will be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow. Following the approval of this Cabinet paper, which is due to be presented by the Minister tomorrow, the Minister is expected to publish the relevant Gazette notification governing the operation of the Electricity Board. It is further reported that, upon the publication of the Gazette, the Electricity Act No. 17 of 1969 will be repealed. Accordingly, by the end of February, the official date for the formal dissolution of the Ceylon Electricity Board is expected to be announced. Meanwhile, in line with the Government’s decision to restructure the Electricity Board, steps have been taken to divide it into four companies. Management authorities have already been appointed for these four companies, and it is reported that employees attached to the Electricity Board who have been assigned to these entities are preparing to hold discussions with the respective management authorities regarding future steps. It is also reported that the forthcoming Gazette notification will resolve the issue faced by a group of Electricity Board employees who had applied for voluntary retirement, a matter that has remained unresolved. Accordingly, arrangements will be made for them to retire in terms of the Gazette notification. Under this restructuring programme, compensation payments to those who applied for voluntary retirement are also due to be made. A total of 2,173 employees of the Electricity Board had applied for voluntary retirement. However, as a Gazette notification announcing the effective retirement date was not issued, these employees were facing a severe predicament. In this context, the affected employees had, on several occasions, submitted letters to the President, the Minister of Power and Energy, and the Mahanayake Theras, requesting an early resolution to the issue and the necessary intervention. Nevertheless, the General Manager of the Electricity Board, Engineer K. S. I. Kumara, had recently informed these employees that those who had applied for voluntary retirement could withdraw their applications, if they so wished, before 30 January. Accordingly, it was reported that fewer than 20 employees decided to withdraw their voluntary retirement applications. As a result, approval has been granted for 2,153 employees to proceed with voluntary retirement, and the compensation due to them is scheduled to be paid in due course.