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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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PM calls for viable policy by Rohan Mathes Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse stresses the need for a viable and stable policy on the restructuring of the CEB within a framework of non-privatisation. Presiding at a meeting at Temple Trees Friday where the ADB Country Director Alessandro Pio, Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha, CEB General Manager Ranjith Fonseka and other CEB officials and Trade Union representatives participated, the Premier reiterated, "We are not for privatisation at any cost, but believe in reform. This is our government policy. The Treasury and the CEB needs money and also stability. The policies should not change with the changes in governments. He pointed out that when they were in the Opposition, they too opposed the privatisation bill and the Norochchalai and Kothmale power projects with the Environmentalists, and eventually, had to go to the people and be answerable to them. "We cannot do this again. We ought to have a stable framework of reform proposals to be submitted to the Cabinet before June 10", he noted. ADB Country Director Alessandro Pio opined that from their point of view, what concerns them was not whether it was privatised or State run, but how the CEB is managed and controlled. "Its transparency, accountability, autonomy, efficiency and management responsibility were the critical issues we will look for. Efficiency would be the crux of the matter", he said. Pio added that they were prepared to fund restructuring and new power generation as well. CEB Trade Unionist Ananda Piyatilake pointed out that their trade unions have always been in favour of the new alternative power projects which were highly politicised in the past, and the repercussions are felt now. However, they see some positive signals now emanating from the government. He underscored the need for meaningful reforms and justification of the problems confronted with and the need to address them accordingly, without taking into consideration a single view point only. Changes had to take place internally as well as externally. Work should proceed within specified time frames as they too disliked to dwell in uncertainty indefinitely. If there was understanding and a consensus among all stakeholders to the issue, implementation could be speeded up. Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha summed up the discussions
with the assurance of preparing the new concept paper pertaining to the 'CEB
Reforms', within the limitations and fundamentals of the framework discussed
therein. |
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