Right of Reply:

PUCSL on private power plants

Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) chairman Saliya Mathew has sent a clarification to the Sunday Observer lead story published on March 20, 2016 under the headline 'Govt. to buy three private power plants'.

"The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) regrets to inform that your paper has carried an article which is based on an unsubstantiated quote by Mr. Athula Wanniarachchi, an employee of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who has accused the Commission of fraudulently blocking the procurement of three power plants mentioned in your news article.

The Sunday Observer has quoted Mr. Wanniarachchi as saying: "We are aware of plans to purchase the three plants.

We could have purchased them last year at a lower price had the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) not intervened".

PUCSL is also of the view that the Sunday Observer, being a reputed publication published by a State- owned media institution in Sri Lanka, would have given a chance to the Commission to explain or could have clarified the information before publishing the article as no attempt had been made to contact the PUCSL to verify this statement. As a result, the article has been written, favouring a single party.

Therefore, the PUCSL would like to bring to your attention the true and actual facts with regard to this false statement. The PUCSL approved the Long Term Generation Expansion Plan for the period 2013-2032 submitted on November 1,2013 by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). This plan has not included the above- referred to three private power plants. Also the CEB had not proposed to purchase or extension of such plants.

PUCSL being the economic, technical and safety regulator for electricity industry in Sri Lanka follows a transparent process in approving these plans and making decisions in accordance with the provisions of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, while getting the involvement of all the stakeholders through public consultation."

Our Reporter's note:

It is acknowledged that the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) should have been contacted to verify the information at the very outset.

This is an oversight on my part and is regretted. However, the PUCSL statement does not expressly contradict the comment by CEB Engineers' Union Convenor Athula Wanniarachchi.