The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday (23) said that it expected to hold public consultations with regard to the proposed electricity tariff revision as early as possible.

Noting that the PUCSL had conducted a review of the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) tariff revision proposal, PUCSL Member Douglas Nanayakkara said that the PUCSL would be taking necessary steps to communicate their observations to relevant parties, including the CEB, for necessary action. He stressed that the PUCSL strove to communicate the relevant information to all relevant parties and was not planning to take an ex-parte decision. He pointed out the importance of allowing the public to get involved in this process without any delay.

Noting that the information regarding the ongoing process was still confidential, he further said that the process of determining the extent of the proposed tariff revision consisted of many steps, and therefore would take time.

The PUCSL was slated to meet a few days ago to discuss the proposed tariff revision. This is in a context where the CEB had proposed to reduce electricity tariffs by an average of 3.34%, which was opposed by many parties including trade unions and consumer groups. The latter claimed that the CEB had made massive profits, and that its benefit should be passed on to electricity consumers in a fair manner and not by the low percentage which the CEB had proposed.