Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament D.V. Chanaka has warned that electricity tariffs could increase if the country does not receive the expected rainfall in the coming period.

He made these remarks while participating in the ‘Derana 360°’ programme last night (6).

The parliamentarian pointed out that although the current government had pledged to reduce electricity tariffs by one-third, tariffs have instead increased by approximately one-third compared to previous levels.

He further emphasized that another increase in electricity tariffs would place a significant burden on both the general public and the tourism industry ahead of the upcoming tourist season.

According to Chanaka, the country was recently able to generate a certain amount of hydroelectricity due to rainfall, while solar power helped stabilize the national grid during daytime hours.

He also stated that only around 10% of the losses associated with coal had been factored into the previous electricity tariff revision. He noted that these losses cannot be avoided until new coal shipments arrive to facilitate power generation.

The MP added that such losses would ultimately have to be recovered either through tax revenue or directly from electricity consumers.