Minister Amaraweera says Priority of govt. to bring down cost of power generation

By Sandun A Jayasekera 

Sri Lanka has a not so appealing tag as the ‘Country with the Biggest Electricity Bill’ in the region and as such, the priority of the Power and Energy Ministry under the new government would be given, to bring down the power generation cost and pass on the benefit to the consumer, said Power, Energy and Commuter Transport Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.   

The hydro, coal, and thermal power plants under the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will have to take the lead in this connection and immediately prevent further escalation of generation cost before trying to reduce it, he added.   

Minister Amaraweera made these remarks addressing the officials and employees of the CEB when he paid a visit to the CEB head office yesterday after assuming duties.   
   Preventing corruption, waste and inefficiency is a top priority of the new government as it is the only way to take the country out of the current mess. The president, prime minister and the cabinet alone cannot do this. Therefore, all public servants, employees of statutory bodies, the private and state sector employees and the public must take a concerted effort to create a new culture of honesty, integrity and efficacy in the entire public, semi government and private sectors if we are to overcome the challenges we are facing right now successfully, Minister Amaraweera emphasised.