Harsha criticises CEB’s problematic accounting and unreasonable practices in tariff revision proposal
Economic Expert and Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva recently criticized the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) proposed electrical power tariff revision for the latter half of 2025, arguing that the financial calculations provided by the utility are flawed and break principles of fairness and openness. Speaking at the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka’s (PUCSL) public assessment held on 3 June at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), he dissected key elements of the CEB’s financial forecasts and accounting approach.
Among the focal points of his argument was the CEB’s reported loss of Rs. 144 billion in 2024, a figure he deemed deceptive due to the inclusion of a Rs. 62 billion ‘clawback’—a term many interpret as ‘advance payments’ collected from electricity users. Dr. de Silva also criticized the CEB for modifying revenue figures mid-year, stating that it goes against established practices.
He raised concerns about the CEB’s reported financing expenses, highlighting a Rs. 14 billion figure that includes legacy debt costs which he believes should not burden current and future clients. Dr. de Silva emphasized the importance of fair cost allocation and criticized the CEB’s proposed approach for recovering losses through tariff adjustments.
Overall, Dr. de Silva called for the reconciliation of forecasting and accounting inconsistencies by the electricity regulator, urging a standardized and fair tariff calculation process to be adopted.
