Power corrupts

Friday 10th June, 2022

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) and Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera have locked horns over the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, which was steamrollered through Parliament yesterday. Wijesekera tore into the CEB engineers on Tuesday; he claimed the CEB was trying to have electricity tariffs jacked up in a bid to increase the salaries of already well-paid engineers, and, therefore, he was opposed to the proposed price increases. He has urged the engineers to allow the renewable energy projects to go on so that the generation costs could be curtailed and the need for tariff hikes obviated.

The CEB engineers say they are opposed only to the replacement of Section 43; the amendment to this effect pertains to new generation plants and the extension of the existing ones. The bone of contention is the competitive bidding process. The CEBEU says competitive bidding has helped procure electricity at the lowest possible cost for the benefit of the public, and, therefore, it must stay. The Minister insists that the bidding process will be retained and prices determined by the CEB. If so, why are they fighting? They have left the public confused.

The government has sought to turn public opinion against the CEB engineers by leaking information about their salaries and allowances. Whether the leaked info is true or false, one may not know, but the general perception is the CEB workers draw much bigger salaries than most other state sector employees, and the people who pay through the nose to maintain them do not get their money’s worth. One main allegation against them is that they are impeding the renewable energy projects to promote their personal interests. Solar power producers complain that the CEB is all out to discourage them by delaying payments and grid connections because some of its decision-makers are in the pay of the wealthy thermal power producers.

It is not only political power that corrupts; other forms of power also could lead to corruption, or the weakening of one’s morality. That the power sector is corrupt is public knowledge. It has earned notoriety for numerous crooked deals, which have cost the state coffers dear all these years. Thus, one may not buy into the arguments being peddled by both sides to the dispute—the government and the CEBEU.

Trade unions and politicians do not have the interests of the public at heart. One should not be so naïve as to expect the warring parties to act out of any concern for the public in either amending the Electricity Act or in opposing amendments thereto. Hence the need to ascertain the views of independent experts on the issue.

Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, a power sector expert, who has been on a mission to knock some sense into policymakers and defend the interests of the country and the public, has presented a strong case for competitive bidding, in his article published on the opposite page today. He has argued compellingly for retaining this process and warned that if it ceases to be, for that reason alone, future electricity prices will be 20% to 33% more expensive. Views of experts who have always defended the interests of the public, should be taken on board.

Meanwhile, Minister Wijesekera has told Parliament that water is being released from the Rantembe and Randenigala reservoirs as part of a conspiracy to make the country purchase more thermal power. The Minister’s allegation must be probed, and if it is found to be true, stringent action must be taken against the culprits.