Every electricity consumer owes Rs. 71,500/- : CEB Trade Union

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Technological Engineers and Superintendent Union (CEBTESU) pointed out that every single electricity consumer is in debt of Rs. 71,500/- due to the colossal loss of the CEB.

A. G. U. Nishantha, the chairman of the union noted that the CEB is in debt to the tune of over Rs. 500 Billion.

"In other words, there are seven million electricity consumers, and every consumer is in debt of Rs. 71,500/-, as an additional payment. 

He said that reducing the tariff alone is not the solution. 

"A permanent solution can be achieved only by reducing the cost of living, and by addressing the inefficiency of the administration and management," he added.

In the meantime, the Cabinet has approved the proposal to revise the electricity tariffs every 03 months.

The electricity charges review period was decided to be six (06) months as per the existing general policy guidelines, and at Monday's (30) cabinet meeting, approval was given to revise it to three months.

In addition, the Cabinet had granted approval to implement a power dispatch audit of the Ceylon Electricity Board, and strengthen hydroelectricity forecasts with the assistance of the Department of Meteorology so that the general policy guidelines already implemented can be revised.

In addition, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Employees' Union is requesting Trade Union members, and staffers to converge opposite the CEB Head Office premises on the 1st of November, for a protest.

The 54th anniversary of the CEB falls on the 1st of November.

The Electricity Users' Association will also engage in a protest march on Wednesday (1) from Divulapitiya Town, and will proceed to the Ministry of Power and Energy.