Public inquiry into corruption in the energy sector

Saturday, 23 November 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

It is a shocking fact that Sri Lanka’s energy costs are among the highest in Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, etc. This fact impacts our cost of production and of course has resulted in a retarded development of the economy.

Because production costs are high in Sri Lanka, investors go to other countries. There are no jobs as a result and our people have to go as semi-slaves to the Middle East.

Why is our energy so expensive? We have so many flowing rivers, round-the-year sunshine and plenty of places to generate wind power. There is also an ocean around us which is also an energy source.

We all know the answer to this pathetic situation. It is the sickening corruption which has a firm grip on our entire energy sector. A few shadowy individuals have managed to worm themselves into every government and changed policy to suit their business interests. They have made billions this way. But the country has suffered, people are paying a lot more than they should for their energy consumption. We remain a poor country.

A typical operation by these power sector business exploiters was the unbelievably arrogant Turkish barge racket which was fully supported by some ministers of the Wickremesinghe Government. These wheeler-dealers were so close to that Government they thought they could get away with murder because of their personal contacts.Fortunately for the country, this massive fraud was stopped by the then President.

This Government should immediately appoint a Presidential commission to investigate the systemic corruption in our energy sector and to propose ways and means of becoming self-sufficient in energy.

Such a commission should conduct its hearings broadly, expose the various ruses by which our country has been robbed by unscrupulous racketeers.

Over to you, the enlightened public.

Ruwan Piyasoma