Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday, 31 March 2026 06:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday alleged the Government is shifting the financial burden of controversial coal procurement losses onto electricity consumers, intensifying political pressure over the recent tariff hike.
Speaking amid growing public concern over rising living costs, Premadasa claimed the Government had “conveniently” transferred losses linked to disputed coal tenders to end users through higher electricity tariffs, despite earlier assurances of reducing energy costs.
He questioned the Government’s stance, asking whether it was acting in the interest of the public or “holding them hostage” through increased tariffs.
Premadasa pointed to previous commitments by the Government to lower electricity costs, suggesting a widening gap between promises and implementation.
He also charged that while authorities had refrained from recovering losses from the importing entities, citing potential financial strain, they had instead opted to pass on the burden to consumers.
The criticism comes in the wake of the latest tariff revision approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), which announced an average increase of around 10% across categories from 1 April.
Adding to the Opposition’s concerns, main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva warned that the revised tariff structure has had a disproportionate impact on middle-income households, with some domestic categories experiencing significantly higher effective increases.
Dr. de Silva argued that the hike risks deepening economic strain on households already grappling with inflationary pressures, while also raising questions about policy consistency.
He also flagged concerns over the broader policy direction, noting that under ongoing economic reforms, including those aligned with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), there may be limited scope for continued welfare support. This, he cautioned, could extend to fuel subsidies as well, potentially compounding cost-of-living pressures.
