One Hundred Per Cent Electricity Tariff Hike Is Recommended To Go For A Break Even, A Top Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Official Said.
Shakila Ifham
May 8, 2022
However, the government is hesitant to give the green light, a CEB official said.
When contacted, CEB Additional General Manager Andrew Nawamani, who is also the CEB Spokesperson said that though there is a proposal, he was not aware of the exact figures.
However, a senior electrical engineer told EarthLanka that the Board spends Rs. 75 to 82 to generate an electricity unit at present. “During early March it was Rs 31.80 and a unit was sold at Rs. 16.37.”
The Systems Control and Generation Division of the CEB produces between 40 and 45 million units per day, an official said that the losses coudnt be managed by the debt ridden Board which is on an overdraft of Rs. 29 billion to the People’s Bank alone.
He said that the government is doing its utmost in releasing fuel thanks to the Indian Credit line. Diesel, Furnace Oil and Nepatha stocks are available now, he said but CEB has no monies, fearing it cannot on for long.
Another official said that minus any other charges, a litre of diesel could produce five units. In other words, a person has to spend minimum Rs. 15,000 to produce 200 units from diesel.
Meanwhile, once again, electricity regulator, the Public Utilities Commission has approved a request made by the CEB to increase electricity tariffs.
PUCSL said that the increase in tariffs has been allowed in view of the losses incurred by the CEB on a daily basis and the fact that electricity tariffs have not been increased since 2014 and it is up to the CEB and the government to decide from when the tariff hike will take effect.
However, another CEB official said that requests to tariff hikes had been going on since 2015, 2016, last year and in March, the latest.
FAQs