The Electricity Reforms Bill has been published in the Gazette and will be presented to the Parliament in the coming week. The Bill was initially gazetted on December 8, but due to objections regarding errors in the draft, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera had delayed its presentation to Parliament.
The gazette related to the amended bill was issued on Wednesday (17). The objective of the Bill is to oversee the generation, transmission, distribution, supply, trading, and procurement of electricity. In addition, it has been proposed to establish a National Electricity Advisory Council and seven members will be appointed by the Minister and one of them has been proposed to be appointed as the Chairman.
It has been proposed to incorporate a limited company related to the restructuring of the Electricity Board and it is stated that the said company should carry out the restructuring activities.
The structure of the electricity industry has been assigned to several companies in this draft bill and it is also proposed to establish a company in which the Government of Sri Lanka holds a hundred percent share to take over the hydropower generation assets of the Ceylon Electricity Board.
It is also proposed to establish another company to take over the coal Power Plant owned by the Ceylon Electricity Board as well as the Ceylon Coal Company.Apart from this, another company will be set up to take over the thermal power generation assets and a company has also been proposed to take over the wind power terminal.
The Act provides for the establishment of a company in which the Government of Sri Lanka holds more than 50 percent shares to develop and maintain the physical infrastructure of the Electricity Board. The Act has also proposed the establishment of a 100 percent owned company by the Government to plan the future electricity and transmission capacity of the Ceylon Electricity Board and take over its tasks. Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said this Bill will be submitted to Parliament in the coming week.
Rakshana Shriyantha