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Govt. requests more time to present CEB Bill

By Shelani Perera

The Government has requested more time from the Asian Development Bank to present the CEB reform bill to Parliament following the last minute withdrawal of the Bill.

The Government was to receive a loan from the ADB to implement the CEB reforms. Earlier the ADB had given time until July 30 for the Government to get the reform bill passed in Parliament . However with the JVP opposing the Bill the Government withdrew it fearing a defeat.

Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne told The Sunday Times that the Government informed the ADB the delay was due to a drafting error which was being attended to.

“We have informed the ADB that the error was being attended to by the Legal Draftsman and once it is rectified the Bill would be presented to Parliament. We have not been given a deadline. I feel the ADB too sees a genuine mistake has been made and that we are trying our best to rectify it,” he said.

The Minister added that the draft Bill would not be changed but instead moves were underway to repeal the 1950 CEB Act.

“It is here that we have the problem as the 1969 Act is based on the 1950 Act. We need to make several changes. At present the legal aspect is being looked into. We cannot set a time period for it to be completed but I have instructed the officials to give it top priority as we need to pass the Bill in Parliament and we need the money from the ADB, if the CEB is to survive” he said.

Earlier the JVP opposed the CEB reform bill to be presented to Parliament claiming that certain clauses in the Act laid the foundation for privatization.
The JVP opposed the formation of six public companies to manage the CEB claiming the CEB Board will be there only in name, while the six companies will function independently as a first step on the road to privatization.

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