Saturday Jan 03, 2026
Saturday Jan 03, 2026
Saturday, 3 January 2026 00:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa |
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday criticised plans to raise electricity tariffs by 11.57% at a time when millions have been displaced by Cyclone Ditwah, warning that households already under strain would face further hardship.
The proposal submitted by the Ceylon Electricity Board must be reviewed and approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. Premadasa argued, however, that proceeding with the proposal would contradict the administration’s election pledges.
He recalled that parties now in Government repeatedly promised to cut electricity bills by 33% while in Opposition, citing examples of reducing a Rs. 9,000 monthly bill to Rs. 6,000 and a Rs. 3,000 bill to Rs. 2,000. Instead, he said, consumers are now being asked to absorb an 11.57% increase, which he described as a breach of the mandate voters endorsed.
Premadasa added that many supported the current leadership on the strength of public assurances, including statements by the President, that electricity costs would be lowered.
Moving ahead with a higher tariff, he said, would amount to abandoning those commitments and undermining the rights of electricity users.
He also accused the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of reversing earlier claims that International Monetary Fund conditions would be renegotiated in favour of the public, alleging that the same terms are now being implemented unchanged.
Calling on the authorities to reconsider, Premadasa said pressing ahead with a tariff increase in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah would deepen public distress, and urged decision-makers to honour their pledge to reduce electricity bills rather than add to the burden on households.
