Electricity price hike proposed to cover coal scam losses

The government proposes to increase electricity bills by 30% in May, following an 11% hike in April to generate Rs. 41.5 billion, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated in Parliament today (08).

Roughly half of this amount, or Rs. 20.5 billion, will be utilised to offset losses resulting from the substandard coal scam.

Due to the inferior coal, 250 gigawatt-hours were lost, requiring Rs. 20.5 billion to generate the equivalent power using diesel power plants, the Opposition Leader explained.

He asserted that the government intends to collect this specific amount from the public through the 30% tariff increase in May.

While the President suggested recovering losses from the responsible companies, the burden of this coal deficit ultimately falls on 7.5 million electricity consumers, the Opposition Leader noted.

He also highlighted that 2.5 million families out of 6.1 million in the country use gas but receive no relief, despite repeated requests for assistance.

The government must immediately withdraw the proposed 30% electricity bill increase scheduled for May, the Opposition Leader urged.

He called for an end to the attempt to recover losses by charging Rs. 100 per diesel unit from the public, insisting instead that the companies responsible for the deficit bear the cost.