COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Former Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has dismissed claims made by the present Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera over the profits made by the Ceylon Electricity Board.On Tuesday (3), Minister Wijesekera tweeted that the Ceylon Electricity Board was making operating profits during October & November each year due to the increase in hydropower usage.Wijesekera stressed that the operational profits were not due to the tariff adjustments made in August 2022, and states that the CEBs own financial statements from 2017 to 2022 highlight the false and misleading comments made by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and Former Minister Champika Ranawaka.However, in response to the Minister, Former Minister Champika Ranawaka pointed out that if the tariff was not increased in October 2022 the Ceylon Electricity Board would be making a loss of a whopping Rs.
11 Billion, per month.The Minister using the statements on power generation noted that hydropower usage during October & November in 2022 were 635.5 Gwh (GIGA WATT HOURS) & 655.0 Gwh (GIGA WATT HOURS) respectively, and thus reducing expenditure of the Ceylon Electricity Board.Patali Champika Ranawaka requested the Minister, to "do your math properly before making such false and misleading statements." .