• ECA prevails upon Govt. citing alleged losses, mismgt., corruption 

The Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) called on the Government to immediately take control of the ACE Embilipitiya Power Plant, raising concerns over its alleged significant financial losses, along with claims of mismanagement and corruption.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (21), ECA Chairperson Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed that the failure to bring the power plant under Government control has already caused considerable losses. “Due to the Government’s delay in taking over the ACE Embilipitiya Power Plant, the country incurred a loss of around Rs. 12,000 million. This is compounded by various management malpractices within the plant,” Dhammika alleged. He stressed the need for urgent Government intervention to rectify the situation and prevent further financial damage. He stated that the ECA has addressed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in writing about the issue, emphasising the urgency of addressing the matter. According to the letter, the power plant’s issues are well known to members of the President’s own Party. The ECA specifically pointed out that Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) former Chairperson Sunil Handunnetti, and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) union leader Ranjan Jayalal are both fully aware of the issues surrounding the ACE Embilipitiya Plant. However, the ECA expressed disappointment that neither Handunnetti nor Jayalal had intervened to resolve the matter.

The ECA also referred to the 2018 COPE report, which was Chaired by Handunnetti, as it included recommendations to bring the power plant under Government control. Despite these recommendations, no action has been taken to date.

Dhammika noted that there is no obstacle to implementing the takeover, now that the President holds Executive power. “With the President, the Minister of Energy, and the Prime Minister all belonging to the same political party, there is no reason for any delay. Furthermore, the current Chairperson of the CEB was appointed by the President, and many of the CEB unions are aligned with the Government. This is an ideal opportunity for the President to demonstrate his commitment to fighting corruption, which was a central theme of his Election campaign,” he remarked.

The ECA also raised concerns over previous allegedly illegal payments made to the company managing the power plant. According to Dhammika, these payments were made without approval from the Public Utilities Commission, and that public servants were reportedly coerced into authorising them. The ECA called for punitive action against the officials involved in these transactions, alongside the immediate transfer of the power plant to Government control.