Ceylon Electricity Board dissolved

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which held a history of nearly five decades, was officially dissolved at midnight yesterday. This marks the beginning of a restructuring process where the board is divided into six separate companies.

Established on November 1, 1969, under Parliamentary Act No. 17 of 1969 with the vision of "Enriching Life through Electricity," the CEB held sole responsibility for the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity in Sri Lanka.

Following the 2020 economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended restructuring state institutions like the CEB to address heavy debts and losses.

Despite opposition from various parties, the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024 facilitated this transition. A gazette notification established six successor companies to handle different sectors:

Appointments for the remaining three entities—National System Operator (Pvt) Ltd, CEB Employees Fund (Pvt) Ltd, and Energy Ventures Lanka (Pvt) Ltd—are expected in the near future.

The CEB stated that while the board is officially dissolved, consumer services remain unchanged for now.

Customers should continue to use existing contact methods for reporting power failures, requesting new connections, or addressing other electricity-related issues until the new companies issue further instructions.