Anisul Islam Noor :
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is heading for holding mass hearing on gas price hike over distribution entities unified proposals seeking the average gas tariffs to raise at Tk 12.95 per cubic metre (cm) from Tk 7.39 now.
As per desire of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the Energy Division is seeking a quick hearing on gas price hike with a motive of adjusting local gas prices with that of imported LNG, experts said.
Professor Shamsul Alam, Energy Adviser of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said, there is no logic to increase gas price in the country now.
“We will submit proposal for a mass hearing over decreasing existing gas price,” he said.
The increasing gas price will affect overall cost of living as well as production cost of industrial goods. As a result local exporters will loss competitiveness in international markets, he said.
As planned, the hike in gas tariffs will be applicable to all consumers excluding households’ consumers.
Talking with The New Nation yesterday an official of BERC said, “We will hold public hearing over the tariff-hike proposals after holding a commission meeting soon,”
But the BERC official said the tariff-hike decision might not come before two months as certain procedures must be followed before the commission’s all-clear procedural steps.
The government expects to start import of LNG from April 25 and start the marketing from on May 1.
Energy Division seeks tariff for gas-fired power plants to be raised to Tk 10 per cm from Tk 3.16. It must Tk 12.80 per cm from Tk 2.17, for fertilizer factories.
Price of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the filling stations to be hiked to Tk 48 per cm from the existing Tk 40.
For industrial sector proposals is being made to raise price to Tk 15 per cm in place of Tk 7.76.
For gas-fired captive power plants the it must rise to Tk 16 per cm from Tk 9.62. Tea-garden owners have to pay Tk 12.80 per cm from Tk 7.42, now.
State-run Petrobangla has already sent proposals separately to its large natural gas consumers entities like Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) over the possible tariff hike, sources said.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has estimated that the government would require US$844.20 million (Tk 69.22 billion) in one year to import of around 1,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) equivalent of LNG for re-gasification in two under-construction floating storage.
It would require $600 million more to import around 600mmc LNG in a year through three proposed small-scale floating storage to be built at offshore Sangu platform and on the river Karnaphuli owned by state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Ltd (CUFL) jointly with Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Ltd (Kafco).
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is heading for holding mass hearing on gas price hike over distribution entities unified proposals seeking the average gas tariffs to raise at Tk 12.95 per cubic metre (cm) from Tk 7.39 now.
As per desire of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the Energy Division is seeking a quick hearing on gas price hike with a motive of adjusting local gas prices with that of imported LNG, experts said.
Professor Shamsul Alam, Energy Adviser of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said, there is no logic to increase gas price in the country now.
“We will submit proposal for a mass hearing over decreasing existing gas price,” he said.
The increasing gas price will affect overall cost of living as well as production cost of industrial goods. As a result local exporters will loss competitiveness in international markets, he said.
As planned, the hike in gas tariffs will be applicable to all consumers excluding households’ consumers.
Talking with The New Nation yesterday an official of BERC said, “We will hold public hearing over the tariff-hike proposals after holding a commission meeting soon,”
But the BERC official said the tariff-hike decision might not come before two months as certain procedures must be followed before the commission’s all-clear procedural steps.
The government expects to start import of LNG from April 25 and start the marketing from on May 1.
Energy Division seeks tariff for gas-fired power plants to be raised to Tk 10 per cm from Tk 3.16. It must Tk 12.80 per cm from Tk 2.17, for fertilizer factories.
Price of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the filling stations to be hiked to Tk 48 per cm from the existing Tk 40.
For industrial sector proposals is being made to raise price to Tk 15 per cm in place of Tk 7.76.
For gas-fired captive power plants the it must rise to Tk 16 per cm from Tk 9.62. Tea-garden owners have to pay Tk 12.80 per cm from Tk 7.42, now.
State-run Petrobangla has already sent proposals separately to its large natural gas consumers entities like Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) over the possible tariff hike, sources said.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has estimated that the government would require US$844.20 million (Tk 69.22 billion) in one year to import of around 1,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) equivalent of LNG for re-gasification in two under-construction floating storage.
It would require $600 million more to import around 600mmc LNG in a year through three proposed small-scale floating storage to be built at offshore Sangu platform and on the river Karnaphuli owned by state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Ltd (CUFL) jointly with Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Ltd (Kafco).
