• New Electricity Act ready by end May
• New act a witch-hunt: Ratnayake

A policy decision must be taken by the Government on whether to continue with the existing Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) as the regulator for electricity supply or establish a new regulatory commission under the new act, according to Dr. Susantha Perera who is a member of the committee appointed to draft guidelines for the new Electricity Act. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, he said that the committee had not taken a final decision on the matter and that it was a policy decision that should be taken by the Government.

While there had been suggestions to remove the PUCSL as the electricity regulator and appoint a new commission, no final decision had been taken yet, Dr. Perera said, when asked whether the PUCSL would be abolished by the new act. 

He went on to explain that the PUCSL had tasks other than electricity sector regulation and therefore no discussions had been held with regard to abolishing the PUCSL. 

The committee, chaired by Power and Energy Ministry Secretary M.P.D.U.K. Mapa Pathirana, comprises Saliya Wickramasuriya, M.M.C. Ferdinando, Dr. Susantha Perera, Nihal Jayawardena, and Harsha Fernando.

Commenting on the new act, Dr. Perera noted that it would be ready by end May. “We were supposed to complete the process by the end of last week, but it got delayed a little and hopefully we will be able to table it in Parliament by the end of May,” he added.

As he explained, once the initial draft is prepared by the committee, it will be sent to the Legal Draftsman and then to the Attorney General’s Department for approval.

Meanwhile, when contacted by The Sunday Morning, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake alleged that the new Electricity Regulatory Commission proposed under the new act would be controlled by the Power and Energy minister.

“At present there is a process to remove those who are appointed to the PUCSL, but in the future they will be removed and managed by the minister as the commission will come under the minister,” Ratnayake opined.

Ratnayake also said that at present the powers had been vested with the President but under the new act, all powers would be vested with the minister in charge.

“This move is basically not to improve the electricity industry in the country but to remove me by sidelining the PUCSL and to bring another regulatory committee where everything will be controlled by the minister,” he said.