PUCSL receives around 100 public responses to electricity hike

Country’s sole power regulator has so far received around hundred responses from the public with regard to the call for written submissions on the proposed electricity tariff revision, likely to come in to effect by end of April.

Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said the submissions were presently being assessed by the Commission, and a report containing feedback, suggestions and alternative proposals on the Ceylon Electricity Boards (CEB’s) tariff revision for 2013 is to be published.

The main opposition, United National Party last week urged the Commission to publish public responses.

Responding to a query on the extremely low representation from the public which stood at twenty as of last Saturday, PUCSL Director General, Damitha Kumarasinghe was quoted as saying that it was a good number given the short span since the announcement was made and further referred to it as a ‘one in a million response’.

The regulator further announced that oral presentations of public consultation on electricity tariff revision were scheduled for April 04 at Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration.

The proposed tariff revision for 2013 was announced on March 12 and written submissions were requested from the public via e-mail, fax or post to the PUCSL.

Meanwhile a sources close to the energy sector pointed out the absence of a culture where public proactively participate in issues concerning them, as the key reason for the low response.

Some also opined, the consultation process appears to be rigid, too formal and time consuming for the public with only three mediums available to make representations.

Another analyst suggested that PUCSL would have been able to receive more responses, had the regulator used social media as a channel to obtain suggestions. (DK)