As enacted

Contents

8. Amendment of section 4 of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 4 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows: -

(1)

in subsection (1) of that section, by the substitution for the words “the policy of the

Government”, of the words “the National

Energy Policy and Strategies of Sri Lanka,”;

(2)

by the repeal of subsection (2) of that section and the substitution therefor of the following subsections: -

“(2) Upon the coming into operation of this section, the Minister shall, with a view to enabling Sri Lanka to meet the

Act, No. 14 of 2025

increasing future demands for electricity, appoint a committee with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, consisting of not more than eight persons (hereinafter referred to as the “committee appointed by the Minister”) having at least fifteen years of expertise in one or more of the following fields, to formulate the draft national electricity policy as part of the national policy on energy, after consultation with the Regulator, National System Operator, licensees, consumer organisations and other relevant stakeholders and in compliance with all relevant national policies and policy guidelines: -

(a)

energy policy making;

(b)

economics;

(c)

finance;

(d)

energy system planning; and

(e)

renewable energy and energy transition.

(2A)

A person shall be disqualified from being appointed or continued to be a member of the committee appointed by the

Minister, if such person –

(i)

is not or ceases to be a citizen of Sri Lanka;

(ii)

is or has been within three years prior to being appointed, a member of

Parliament, a

Provincial

Council or a

Local

Authority;

Act, No. 14 of 2025

(iii)

is a connected person having any financial or other interest amounting to a conflict of interest directly or indirectly in any entity in the Electricity Industry or any matter performed by such person;

(iv)

is under any written law in force in Sri Lanka found or declared to be of unsound mind;

(v)

is a person who has been declared an insolvent or bankrupt under any written law in Sri Lanka or in any other country, is undischarged insolvent or bankrupt;

(vi)

has been convicted of any criminal offence by any court in Sri Lanka or in any other country; or

(vii)

is subject to any mental or physical disability which precludes such person from discharging the responsibilities assigned to such person as a member of the committee appointed by the Minister.

(2B)

The Minister shall, after informing the Cabinet of Ministers in writing the reasons therefor, remove any member of the

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committee appointed by the Minister, if such member is subject to any disqualification specified in subsection (2A).

(2C)

The members of the committee appointed by the Minister shall hold office for a period of three years unless removed from the office by the Minister.

(2D)

The Minister may reappoint any member for a further term of three years.

(2E)

The committee appointed by the

Minister shall be deemed to be a scheduled institution within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023 and the provisions of that Act shall be construed accordingly.”.

(3)

in subsection (3) of that section, by the substitution for the words and figures “in compliance with the direction of the Minister under subsection (2), proceed”, of the word

“proceed”;

(4)

in subsection (9) of that section, by the substitution for the words and figures

“subsections (1) to (7)”, of the words and figures

“subsections (4) to (7)”; and

(5)

by the repeal of the marginal note of that section and the substitution therefor of the following marginal note: -

“Formulation of the national electricity policy as part of the national policy on energy”.

Act, No. 14 of 2025

Read on from s 9