Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has proposed to hike natural gas price by Tk3.11 to Tk12.47 per cubic metre.
The recommendations, mooted by the technical (evaluation) committee of BERC, came at a public hearing with the representatives of the gas companies on Monday.
Currently, each cubic metre of gas is priced at Tk9.36. According to the committee the prices can be raised to Tk12.47.
“We have analyzed the gas imports data for the 2021-22 fiscal. We made the recommendation after that,” Didarul Islam, the committee chief told The New Nation.
“The BERC has been fixing the prices of electricity and gas since its inception,” BERC Chairman Abdul Jalil said.
“The commission is a semi-judicial system, where prices are fixed based on logic and proof,” he added.
The committee proposed the price hike based on a proposal by state-run Petrobangla to hike prices to Tk15.30.
However, a three-day public hearing on the proposed gas tariff hike at the retail level will continue till March 24.
BERC will start holding the hearing at the BIAM Auditorium in the city from 10:00am to 5:00pm from today and will continue to March 24 to listen to the
arguments from the stakeholders in the gas sector. As per the schedule, the hearings on the proposals of the Petrobangla and Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) held on March 21, Sundarban Gas Company and Pashchimanchal Gas Company on March 22, Titas Gas and Bakhrabad Gas companies on March 23, Jalalabad Gas and Karnaphuli Gas companies on March 24. The state-owned transmission company and six other gas distribution companies submitted their final proposals to the energy regulator on January 25 seeking a 117% hike in gas price at the retail level.
Besides, their principal gas supplier Petrobangla also placed its proposal to raise the price of the natural gas at bulk level.As per the gas distributors’ proposals, the monthly gas price for a double burner will increase to Tk2100 from the existing Tk975, while the price for a single burner will rise to Tk2000 from the current Tk925.
Meanwhile, Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of eight leftist parties, handed over a memorandum to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Abdul Jalil on Sunday in protest at an attempt to put up the gas price.
At a rally in front of BERC Bhaban at Karwan Bazar in the capital, they vowed to thwart the attempt.
At the programme, LDA Coordinator Saiful Huq, who chaired the rally, said a rise in gas price will only add to public discontent as life has become intolerable due to the price hike of essential commodities.
“Efforts are being made to shift the onus for corruption in power sector onto consumers,” he said.
At the rally, the LDA leaders announced that they would resist the bid to raise gas price.
At the end of the protest, a delegation of the LDA led by Saiful Huq handed over the memorandum.
They hoped that the BERC will abstain from holding a mass hearing to increase the gas price.
