Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody strongly rebuked a joint letter from JICA, ADB, and the World Bank, saying their public approach on the Electricity Act Amendment was undiplomatic and politicized the issue.
“This is not how it should be done. They can’t work with us like this. They should have handled it more diplomatically instead of going public,” the Minister said during a televised interview.
The Minister was referring to a joint letter by the three organisations, expressing concerns over certain amendments to Sri Lanka’s Electricity Act 2024.
The concerns pointed out included permanent state ownership of power entities, restructuring the National Transmission Network Service Provider (NTNSP), and regulator oversight of tariffs—warning these could undermine governance, financial sustainability, and private investment in the energy sector. (Newswire)
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody Delivers Serious Response to @jica_direct_en, @ADB_HQ , @WorldBank Letter!
“This is not how it should be done. They can’t work with us like this. They should have handled it more diplomatically instead of going public. This issue has now been… pic.twitter.com/OvzuRjDG2J
— Kalindu Karunaratne (@kalindukaru) June 27, 2025