The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has engaged the expertise of several professionals to support the ongoing reform initiatives in Sri Lanka’s electricity sector. In a meeting on November 22, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera conferred with officials from the reform secretariat to outline the upcoming steps in the reform process.
Minister Wijesekera revealed that the ADB has enlisted Dr. Pankaj Batra, former Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority of India, to assist the Reform Secretariat specifically on the National System Operator. Additionally, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, Chair of the Human Resources Department at the University of Colombo, has been brought on board to provide expertise on Human Resource Management for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
The services of ADB Executive Consultant Debasis Mohapatra have also been extended to offer guidance on institutional strengthening. Minister Wijesekera highlighted the discussions on various aspects, including feedback from the President, Cabinet Ministers, and development agencies such as ADB, JICA, World Bank, and USAID. The talks encompassed essential elements like regulations for a seamless transition, consumer protection laws, constitutional requirements, tariff regulations, and amendments to the Sinhala draft bill, crucial before gazetting and presenting it to Parliament for approval.
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Minister Wijesekera emphasized the significance of addressing these considerations in the reform process. Notably, on November 21, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the proposed bill related to electricity sector reforms.
