Power and Energy Ministry in talks with CEB to cut costs, expenses

• Instructions given to halt construction work of new  CEB HQ
• Paperless billing from January
• Efforts will be taken to stop outsourcing services
• No mention made regarding trimming costs by reducing workforce of bloated entity

The Power and Energy Ministry has kicked off efforts to look at ways to reduce the operational costs of mismanaged state-owned entity, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).  The Power and Energy Ministry yesterday held discussions with the senior officials of the CEB to identify the areas where the costs and expenses of the entity can be reduced. 

Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said as a start, instructions were given to hold the ongoing construction work of the CEB’s new headquarters. 

“We have decided to introduce paperless bills and receipts from January to all customers, regulate the fixing of street lamps and operating street lamps,” he said in an update on Twitter. 

The CEB will also stop outsourcing some of its services and instead, will look to carry out the work with the existing staff.

Work that cannot be carried out by the existing workforce of the CEB would be carried out with the assistance of Local Councils, Wijesekera said.  The public and business community received a jolt from the minister this week as he said it is necessary to further increase the electricity tariff to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Failing to do so will lead to the country facing power cuts of up to eight hours per day.  Following the electricity tariff hike implemented in recent months, the business community has been repeatedly pointing out that the cost of production has risen to unbearable levels, reducing its overall competitiveness.  While sections of the business community and public have called out the relevant authorities to reduce the workforce of the bloated CEB and revise the remuneration package offered to cut costs, no mention was made by the minister in this regard.