Turning off the lights : the threat to community electricity in Sri Lanka / Steve Thomas, Jayantha Gunasekara, Ruana Rajepakse.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thomas, Steve.

Contributor:

Gunasekara, Jayantha.

Rajepakse, Ruana.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Electric industries--Economic aspects--Sri Lanka.

Electric industries.

Electric industries--Political aspects--Sri Lanka.

Electric industries--Economic aspects.

Sri Lanka.

Physical Description:

viii, 64 pages ; 30 cm

Place of Publication:

Bourton-on-Dunsmore, Rugby : ITDG, 2005.

Summary:

Turning Off the Lights exposes the effects that the IMF and World Bank sponsored reform of the electricity sector will have on poor communities. International pressure through the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations could further threaten the survival of projects specifically aimed at or managed by poor communities, such as the offgrid micro-hydro power schemes that are widespread in Sri Lanka. This book explains the background to the IMF approved electricity reforms in Sri Lanka and how GATS negotiations could further damage the delivery of low cost electricity services to poor communities.

This Practical Action Briefing will help to galvanize support for a pro-poor agenda in future negotiations by illustrating the dangers if the concerns of poor communities are not taken into account. It provides valuable ammunition to campaigners for a fairer approach to GATS and to energy planners, researchers and policy makers.

Contents:

Problems with the conventional electricity sector in Sri Lanka 1

Resources and consumption 1

Organization 1

The planning process and government policy 2

Problems with the electricity sector 2

Rural electrification and non-traditional energy resources in Sri Lanka 5

The Sri Lanka electrification programme 5

Non-traditional energy resources in Sri Lanka 6

Reforms to the Sri Lankan electricity industry 11

The proposals 12

The British Model and its suitability for developing countries 14

Critique of the proposals 18

Stimulating investment in Sri Lanka's electricity industry 21

The World Trade Organization and the GATS negotiations 25

The World Trade Organization 25

Progress on offers and requests 33

General arguments on the GATS 34

The Cancun Summit and subsequent developments 37

The GATS 38

The Sri Lankan electricity system 39

The GATS and the Sri Lanka electricity system 40

Appendix 1 Retreat of multinational electricity companies 41

US companies 41

European companies 45

Appendix 2 Information on the WTO and GATS 47

Appendix 3 Perceptions of the Sri Lankan electricity industry 48

The planning process 48

Consumer perceptions of the problems 48

The Reforms 49

Rural electrification 51

Appendix 4 The CEB generation plan: 2002-16 52

Appendix 5 Examples of operating micro-hydro projects 56

Kithulritiella village micro-hydro project, Perupalla, Maliboda, Deraniyagala 56

Thanthrikanda village hydro project, Thanthrikanda, Miyanawita, Deraniyagala 56

Veediyawatta village hydro project, Deraniyagala 56

Appendix 6 The Cancun negotiations 59.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-64).

ISBN:

1853395943

OCLC:

61185256