President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed the officials to take all possible measures to safeguard the country’s energy conservation by raising public awareness on the prudent use of energy during the peak consumption period between 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m., while ensuring the active participation of the public in these efforts.

The President emphasised that in the face of the global challenge of maintaining uninterrupted energy supplies arising from the conflict in the Middle East, it is the collective responsibility of all both institutions and individuals to make the fullest possible contribution towards overcoming this challenge through the prudent and efficient management of energy use, according to the President’s Media Division.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while participating in a discussion held today (23) at the Presidential Secretariat to review further measures that could be taken to ensure energy conservation.

The discussion focused on further operationalising the measures already taken by the government in recent weeks to manage energy consumption, with particular attention given to the development of clear guidelines for the public service.

The President also instructed that discussions be held with local government institutions to identify measures to ensure the systematic management of energy consumption at that level.

It was also noted that significant amounts of electricity are consumed by advertising billboards and other decorative lighting systems and that restricting their use could result in substantial savings in the country’s overall electricity consumption, the PMD noted.

The discussion further considered proposals put forward by the Ministry of Transport and Highways to reduce the use of non-essential street lighting in urban areas and to enhance energy management.

In this regard, the President further emphasised the need for all relevant stakeholders to engage in discussions to identify viable alternative approaches and to expedite the implementation of appropriate measures, the PMD added.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Chandana Abeyratne; Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake; Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Aloka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Senior Professor Kapila C. K. Perera; Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Prabath Chandrakeerthi; Chairman of the Road Development Authority, T. Paskaran; Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya; and a number of other government officials.