Opposition MP Harsha de Silva says the electricity tariff hike for June to December need not be 18%.
In a statement on ‘X’, MP de Silva pointed out that the electricity tariff can be maintained at 9%.
He further said that the National People’s Power (NPP) Government and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake need to hold a discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in this regard.
MP de Silva added that the government should stick to the agreed formula in the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme based on the Sri Lanka Electricity Act 2009 and the Ceylon Elctricity Board (CEB) Act 1969.
The comments come as the CEB has proposed an 18.3% increase in electricity tariffs for the period from June to December 2025, citing significant financial losses.
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) is currently reviewing this proposal and plans to announce its decision in the first week of June, following public consultations.
Previously, IMF Sri lanka Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou had also announced that Sri Lanka should restore cost-recovery electricity pricing as soon as possible to minimise fiscal risk and is essential to complete the fourth review of the IMF’s External Fund Facility (EFF) programme. (Newswire)