The Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill Passed

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments today, without a vote being held.

Following the debate on the bill, a vote was held during the second reading, where 121 members voted in favor, while 25 voted against.

Amendments to the Sri Lanka Electricity Act were proposed in 2024, initially aiming to restructure the Ceylon Electricity Board by dividing it into 12 separate companies.

However, under the new amended bill, those proposals have been withdrawn. Instead, the plan now is to restructure the CEB under five state-owned enterprises.

The bill was challenged in the Supreme Court, where the Court determined that certain clauses in the original version would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament and a public referendum in order to be passed.

In line with the Supreme Court’s ruling, the necessary amendments were made, and the revised bill was presented to Parliament today.