Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday, 13 March 2026 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday met representatives of engineers’ trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to discuss the Government’s plans to restructure the State-owned power utility, emphasising the need for cooperation to address challenges in Sri Lanka’s power sector.
According to the President’s Media Division, the discussion took place at the Presidential Secretariat and focused extensively on the proposed restructuring process of the CEB, which the Government says is intended to improve efficiency while ensuring a reliable electricity supply to consumers.
During the meeting, the President said the objective of the restructuring was to establish a system capable of delivering an efficient and uninterrupted supply of electricity at fair prices, while safeguarding the country’s energy security.
He also noted that the Government intends to maintain ownership of the companies that will be established under the restructuring framework.
President Dissanayake assured union representatives that the rights currently enjoyed by employees of the CEB would be protected within the new institutional structure.
The President also discussed a range of longstanding operational and institutional issues that had remained unresolved while the organisation functioned under its existing structure.
He acknowledged that the reform process would not be easy and described it as a long-term transition requiring careful planning and sustained engagement.
President Dissanayake also stressed the importance of maintaining constructive dialogue and mutual understanding between employees and the newly established entities during the transition, proposing the creation of a formal mechanism to facilitate continued engagement.
He further underscored the need to ensure employees’ peace of mind by recognising their future aspirations and creating an environment that allows them to perform their duties with confidence.
He said the challenges facing the power sector could be addressed if all stakeholders acted with a sense of responsibility towards the country and called on trade unions to work together with the Government to support the transformation.
Representatives of the engineers’ unions acknowledged the need for reforms and expressed their willingness to work constructively with the Government to achieve the objectives of the restructuring process.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and Deputy Minister Arkam Ilyas were also present at the meeting.
