A high-level seminar on “Competition Policy and Law” was held in Colombo yesterday (13), with the aim of strengthening competition in the energy sector and safeguarding consumer welfare.
The seminar was organised under the leadership of the Presidential Secretariat, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Its primary objective of this seminar was to create a fair competitive environment and new market opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises within the energy and electricity sectors undergoing reform.
The seminar was considered a timely and important initiative in the new environment emerging following the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
Discussions focused on ensuring energy security through a transparent and fair competition framework, reducing electricity and energy costs for consumers and further expanding private sector participation in the energy sector.
To this end, key policymakers, regulators and international experts came together on a common platform for an in-depth discussion on strengthening competition policy and the legal framework governing the energy sector.
Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, Chief Representative of the JICA Sri Lanka Office Shigeo Honzu, and Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Professor K. P. L. Chandralal, addressed the seminar.
Experts from the Japan Fair Trade Commission, Japan’s principal body responsible for enforcing competition law, also participated, along with a number of local and international policymakers and professionals.
