Hot air over move to impose power cuts at EPZs
Power Secy. stresses impact on national economy
May 7, 2013, 9:21 pm
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The country is heading for a major power crisis with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) even planning to deprive Export Processing Zones (EPZ) of uninterrupted power due to insufficient generation.
This is in accordance with unannounced power cuts imposed in several parts of the country with effect from May 6.
However, the Power and Energy Ministry has strongly suggested to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) that all EPZs should be exempted from the ongoing scheduled power cuts.
Local and foreign investors have warned the ministry as well as the CEB that interruption of electricity supply could cause a catastrophic situation. They said that the failure on the part of the government to ensure a continuous electricity supply would be a major setback in attracting foreign investment. Now, instead of bringing in new investment, the government would have to reassure those who had already invested here not to panic, sources said.
Responding to a query, sources said that the country’s premier investment agency, Board of Investment (BoI), had assured investors of uninterrupted power supply when they were allocated lands within the EPZs. Sources emphasized that the urgent need was to call for a comprehensive discussion involving all stakeholders.
They said that Power and Energy Secretary M. M. C. Ferdinando has written to General Manager G. M. Wickremasuriya as well as CEB Chairman W. P. Ganegala and Dr. Lakshman Jayaweera emphasising the need to exempt EPZs from power cuts.
Ferdinando stressed that EPZs should be let off power cuts even in the future due to the importance of their operation to the national economy.
Sources said that it was unfortunate the government wanted to include EPZs in the power shedding programme immediately after imposing a hefty electricity tariff which would escalate production costs by about 22 per cent. The bottom line was Sri Lankan products wouldn’t be competitive due to escalating production costs hence the government couldn’t be ignorant of the danger, they said.
PB objects to the President’s move to reduce the electricity bill
Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Finance Minister Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has vehemently objected to the reduction of the electricity bill announced by the President as part of a media circus without his knowledge, sources said.
“We cannot come out of this crisis even after increasing the electricity bill. This move was aimed at just staying afloat. Politicians cannot understand this. They are engage din various gimmicks to score points. It is the public officials who finally have to pay for these mistakes. They are trying to sacrifice everything in order to save one thing,” Dr. Jayasundera has told several members of his staff. Dr. Jayasundera had then left his ministry and not returned for about two days.
While the President announced a reduction in the electricity bill at the government’s May Day rally, Minister Wimal Weerawansa who held his own May Day rally read the sms announcing the President’s statement to his supporters and asked them to be grateful to the President.
