Ceylon Electricity Board Reaffirms Commitment to Sector Reforms, Rules Out Privatization
November 06, Colombo (LNW): The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) announced on Monday that while reforms in the electricity sector will continue, there will be no privatization of state-owned electricity assets.
In an official statement, CEB explained that it had initiated a reform process last year, driven by external recommendations, due to decades of delayed internal reforms. However, the organization now sees an “unprecedented opportunity” to advance meaningful reforms in the energy sector, aligning with the social transformation mandate of Sri Lanka’s current president.
CEB’s Board of Directors has called on all stakeholders to collaborate in building a people-centric, clean, and secure electricity sector. The goal is to achieve the lowest electricity costs in the region within the next five years, under a strong single-buyer market model, with an Independent System Operator (ISO) and unbundled licenses for generation, transmission, and distribution. This vision will be implemented through amendments to the Electricity Act, with extensive public and stakeholder consultation.
In addition, CEB has proposed forming a committee representing employees at all levels to foster active involvement in the ministry’s future initiatives. An online awareness session on the reforms was recently conducted for CEB staff by the Chairman and Board of Directors, emphasizing that, “Change is a constant; timely changes are essential for any organization.”
The CEB emphasized that these organizational reforms aim to enhance service quality, customer satisfaction, and employee welfare, while ensuring economic returns that support both the organization and the national economy.
