📈 CBSL Urges Strict Power Sector Reforms to Ensure Economic Stability

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has underscored the critical need for cost-reflective pricing and institutional restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to safeguard macroeconomic stability and reduce fiscal risks. • Financial Performance & Pricing: The CEB recorded a profit of Rs. 148.6 Bn in 2024. However, consecutive tariff cuts (21.9% in March '24, 22.5% in July '24, and 20% in Jan '25) led to losses in H1 2025. A 15% upward revision in June 2025 was required to restore monthly profitability. • Generation Mix (2024 Data): • Coal: 32.6% • Hydropower: 32.3% • Non-Conventional Renewable Energy: 21.2% • Fuel-based (Thermal): 13.9% • Strategic Reforms: • Unbundling: Under the Electricity (Amendment) Act of 2025, the CEB will be split into four state entities: generation, transmission, distribution, and system operations. • Efficiency: Transitioning to a forward-looking tariff framework is vital to reduce business uncertainty and enhance the competitiveness of the industrial sector. • Renewables: High tariffs and subsidy removals have successfully accelerated renewable energy adoption and self-generation by households and the private sector. • Key Risks: Heavy reliance on weather-dependent hydropower and expensive thermal power remains a vulnerability. CBSL advocates for grid modernization and direct income transfers to vulnerable groups instead of broad energy subsidies.