Water and petroleum under PUCSL soon

Director General, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Damitha Kumarasinghe said the water supply and petroleum industries will be brought under the Commission’s purview soon. He was speaking after launching the Commission’s Activity Plan 2016 recently.

The Government through Budget 2016 provided policy and legislative backing to broaden and strengthen the PUCSL by granting the Commission regulatory powers of the water services and the petroleum industry, enabling a more cost reflective transparent pricing mechanism.

The PUCSL launched the Activity Plan for 2016 to support long-term goals which include increasing efficiency, quality of service and enhancing technical standards and safety of the electricity industry.

The government has allocated Rs. 241.9 million for the program. These measures will significantly improve the electricity sector, making it fairer, more efficient and more growth-friendly through regulation and monitoring, Kumarasinghe said.

“It was after a comprehensive consultation process, that we finalized this plan. We adopt a systematic approach in drafting the activity plan annually. This time, we recognized 12 long-term goals to be achieved by the electricity sector, in line with the Electricity Act and the PUCSL Act. We hope to implement various projects to achieve the goals. The Draft Activity plan was open for public comments and the Commission approved the final plan after considering the comments.”

The Commission has listed out a series of activities to improve the standards of the electricity industry and hopes to conduct studies on efficiency and reliability.

The Public Utilities Commission plays a pivotal role in the national economy as the watchdog for the economic sustainability, safety and as the technical regulator of the electricity industry.

The Commission also acts as the shadow regulator for the lubricant sub sector.

The Commission ensures that the electricity sector in Sri Lanka has adequate investments, greater availability, efficient supply, and improved quality of services for consumers. The Commission also regulates the generation, transmission, distribution, supply and use of electricity.