New CEB Act to remedy shortcomings

COLOMBO: The new CEB Act to be tabled for Parliamentary approval envisages the setting up of a regulatory authority to streamline CEB customer services by creating a more efficient electricity generation, transmission and distribution system, the Power and Energy Ministry said yesterday.

The Ministry said after the setting up of the Electricity Department in 1950, the CEB Act No. 17 of 1969 was passed to transform the electricity service into a better public utility service.

Certain weaknesses in the CEB machinery had created various problems for the electricity consumers totalling nearly four million during the last 39 years.

The new CEB Act was aimed to remedy those weaknesses and shortcomings in the CEB machinery and provide a better electricity utility service for the consumers. Sudden electricity disruptions and lack of proper maintenance services caused many

problems to electricity consumers because the present Act did not facilitate the setting up of a regulatory authority to look into these aspects of power supply.

There will be no privatisation of the CEB whatsoever in the new CEB Act which is only aimed to provide a more efficient customer service including the setting up of a Public Utility Commission which would provide relief to consumers in respect of appeals made by them including inconvenience and electricity bills.