Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-05-02

Regulations for the Water Services Industry in Sri Lanka

- It is observed that an effective regulation is necessary to protect the interest of consumers and attract more investment into the water services industry. Presently, the Public Utilities Service Commission of Sri Lanka is vested with the economic and technical regulations pertaining to the water services industry and the water survices provided by the Institutions of the Provincial Councils and the community based organizations do not come under the purview of the Commission. As such, the proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, the Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, to formulate a policy framework for the Water Services Industry, in Sri Lanka by empowering the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to be the 'Activator' and the Public Utilities Commission to be the 'Regulator', with the objective of formalizing the water services industry and to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft the Water Services Industry Bill aimed at providing such provision, was approved by the Cabinet.