The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) is set to publish a consultation paper tomorrow (May 20) on the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) latest electricity tariff proposal for the second half of 2025. This step marks the beginning of a new round of public consultations, with hearings scheduled to begin at the provincial level from May 23.
PUCSL Director of Communications Jayanat Herat confirmed that the consultation process will mirror previous exercises, allowing public input on the CEB’s proposed tariff revision.
The CEB submitted the proposal last week, arguing that an adjustment is necessary to cover critical operational costs and to address what it describes as “legacy debt” accumulated over the past decade. Despite the proposed changes, the CEB claims the new tariff will still be around 5.4% lower than at the end of 2024, following a 20% tariff cut implemented earlier in 2025 that brought average prices to approximately Rs. 24 per kilowatt-hour.
CEB Spokesperson Eng. Dhammike Wimalaratne defended the proposal, highlighting that electricity rates were frozen between 2014 and 2022 despite escalating costs in fuel, coal, maintenance, and spare parts. According to him, this long-term suppression of price increases forced the CEB to resort to heavy borrowing and delayed payments to suppliers, which has now resulted in significant financial liabilities.
However, political opposition to the proposed revision is mounting. Opposition Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) head Sajith Premadasa slammed the plan, accusing the government of trying to shift the burden of CEB’s mismanagement—and a Rs. 18 billion loss in the first quarter of 2025—onto consumers. He recalled the government’s earlier promise of a 13% reduction in power bills, calling the reversal “unacceptable” and vowing to lead a democratic resistance against what he described as an “unfair and unjustified” hike.
The coming weeks of public consultation are likely to spark widespread debate, as stakeholders assess whether the proposed revision is a prudent correction—or another burden on struggling households.