The secretary to the ministry of petroleum resources says that people have been immensely benefited by the reduction of fuel prices.

Secretary to the ministry of Petroleum Resource Development Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga says that it has been possible to minimize the generation of electricity through fuel with the expansion of the capacity at the Norochcholai coal powered power station. As a result, it has been possible to minimize the foreign exchange spent on the importation of petroleum oil. A comparatively low foreign exchange is being used in the importation of coal in comparison to petroleum fuel.
The government headed by the President has decided to hand over this advantage to the consumers. Accordingly the electricity charges were reduced by 25 percent. The consumers are also immensely benefited by the reduction of kerosene, petrol and
Diesel prices. The decline in kerosene prices has been tremendous boost to the fishing community and also to the plantation population and low income earners.
Chairman of the Ceylon electricity board W. B. Ganegala said that the CEB has taken the necessary measures to reduce the electricity bills from last Tuesday itself, according to the declaration of the president.
He told the national radio that calculation of electricity bills will be carried out by reducing 25 percent with effect from next month. It has been a Mahinda Chinthana pledge to reduce power charges.

The President has pledged through the Mahinda Chinthana Idiridekma programme that Sri Lanka’s first coal powered power station with 300 megawatts capacity would be added to the national grid by the year 2010 and the implementation of the Upper Kothmale power station in the year 2011. The Idiridekma programme has further pledged to gradually remove the costly diesel generators from the power generation process and to handover the benefits to the people. Mr, Ganegala has questioned
as to how this pledge could be regarded as an act carried with the intention of achieving political advantage. The Norochcholai power station is now functioning with maximum efficiency. It adds 900 megawatts in the national grid. This amounts to more than half of the daily national requirements.