CABINET DECIDES RELIEF FOR DOMESTIC POWER CONSUMPTION IN APRIL, MAY- AMARAWEERA
The Cabinet has decided to give a big relief to electricity consumers to settle their March and April electricity bills as consumers have used power excessively in the two months and thereby received a higher bill than usual, Power, Energy and Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday.
Minister Amaraweera told the media that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of the Cabinet widely spoke in support of the Cabinet paper he submitted yesterday to grant a relief package to consumers as there were many complaints, inquiries and pleading on the increased electricity bill in March and April in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Cabinet decided today to grant a considerable relief to consumers for those two months.
Minister Amaraweera said it was understandable that the electricity bill in March and April rose sharply because people remained at home due to curfew. Besides, it was the government that requested the public to remain at home.
Speaking to Daily Mirror, Minister Amaraweera said the government is not in a position to reduce the electricity bill, but assured that there would be no increase, even global fuel prices surge further.
The Minister requested consumers to settle their monthly electricity bill on time and added if they have paid excessively, it will be deducted from next month’s bill.
However, the CEB will not discontinue power supply for the failure to settle electricity bills, he added.