The government recently submitted to Parliament a new Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill that includes a clause that the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka shall consult the Ministry of Finance in determining the electricity tariff.
The government has submitted this Bill to Parliament amending the provision in the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024, passed last year, that the tariff shall be determined by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and that the tariff shall be the electricity tariff.
The Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024 provides for the appointment of a National System Operator to manage the national electricity grid, ensure the real-time operation of the electricity grid, including balancing electricity supply and demand.
Although the Act had provided for the establishment of a National Electricity Advisory Council as a full-time statutory body, the word “council” has been amended in Section 3 of the 2025 Amendment Bill presented to Parliament to include a committee appointed by the Minister.
It is said that Section 7 of the Amendment Bill has also completely removed the provisions related to the establishment and enforcement of a National Electricity Advisory Council.