Govt. to operationalise Electricity Act from Monday

Saturday, 7 March 2026 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government will bring most provisions of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024 into operation from Monday (9), marking a key step in the power sector reforms aimed at restructuring the electricity industry and strengthening planning and regulatory frameworks.

An Extraordinary Gazette issued on 5 March by virtue of Energy Minister Punya Sri Kumara Jayakodi confirmed that the date has been appointed for the Act to come into force, following several prerequisite policy and planning measures completed earlier this year.

The Gazette notes that the decision was made after the Minister was satisfied that the Preliminary Transfer Plan had been prepared by the Power Sector Reforms Secretariat on 5 January 2026. The Cabinet of Ministers had also approved the national electricity policy as part of the broader national energy policy, including the national tariff policy, on 3 March 2026.

In addition, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had prepared key sector planning documents on 18 February 2026, including the Annual Power Procurement Plan, the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan and the Long-Term Transmission Development Plan.

Based on these developments, the Minister ordered that the provisions of the Electricity Act, other than those specified in a schedule to the Gazette, will come into operation from 9 March 2026.

Several sections of the Act had already been brought into force earlier. According to the Gazette, sections including the opening provisions and selected operational clauses came into effect from 27 June 2024, in accordance with subsection (3) of section 1 of the Act.

The phased implementation of the law forms part of a broader effort to reform the electricity sector. The legislation is expected to provide the legal framework for restructuring the power industry, improving procurement planning, and strengthening governance in generation, transmission and distribution.

The Electricity Act was introduced as part of wider economic and structural reforms aimed at improving efficiency and financial sustainability in the energy sector, which has long faced mounting losses and operational challenges.