The Cabinet appointed a Senior Lead advisor as the Head of Power Sector Reform Secretariat, to provide strategies to coordinate activities pertaining to the implementation of the reform process of the Power Sector. The said Senior Lead advisor’s assignment is funded by JICA, as a grant in JICA’s technical cooperation.
In March 2023, the IMF Extended Fund Facility programme (IMF programme) was approved, and reform of State-owned enterprises, including the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), is one of the top prioritized issues in the IMF programme.
The Government has embarked on power sector reform process to improve efficiency, consumer service, enhance migration to renewable energy and mobilization of private investments to the sector. JICA as a long-term development partner and funding agency to the power sector is committed to supporting the power sector reforms in Sri Lanka, and this technical cooperation will finance the consulting services on the Power Sector Reforms by the Senior Lead advisor for the MOPE (Ministry of Power and Energy). The said consulting service will not be financed out of the proceeds of the loan facility, and this will be compensated as one of JICA’s Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) ‘Grant’ where there is no cost to the Government or citizens of Sri Lanka.
The appointed Senior Lead advisor who is having more than 25 years’ experience in number of Asian countries as a senior expert in Asian Development Bank and the World Bank group is expected to play a leading role in the Power Sector Reforms, including providing strategic direction to the reform process, coordinating the technical assistance from development agencies, and offering inputs pertaining to technical, energy policy and regulation issues and undertaking stakeholder consultations.
