Anisul Islam Noor :
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has finalised a proposal to increase 20 per cent gas price hike on an average which is likely to be announced by the end of this month.
According to BERC, as per the new gas price household users will have to pay Tk 750 monthly instead of existing Tk 650 for double burners and Tk 700 has been proposed for single burners from the existing Tk 600.
A BERC official requesting not to be named told The New Nation yesterday that the energy regulator will issue a notice announcing the new gas price hike for the use of single and double gas burners. The hike is likely to come into effect from December 1.
“After three months of public hearing, the decision will soon be made public through a press briefing. We have completed all the formalities to re-fix the gas price. We may announce the decision anytime,” said BERC acting chairman Md Maksudul Haque. In August this year, BERC held an eight-day public hearing on gas transmission tariff and price hike proposals submitted by seven state-owned gas transmission and distribution companies.
According to the proposals, it was initially proposed to charge the household users Tk 1,200 every month instead of Tk650 for double burners and Tk 1,100 for single burners instead of Tk 600; which was a massive 85 per cent hike.
Also consumers using meter-based burners were proposed to pay Tk16.80 instead of Tk7 for per cubic metre of gas which suggested an increase of 140 per cent on the present price. Alongside, the proposal also asked for increases in prices of gas used for commercial purposes in power plants, tea gardens, fertilizer companies and for all other industrial users. Gas Transmission Company Limited additionally proposed that the BERC to raise gas transmission tariff from over Tk15 paisa to Tk.42 paisa per cubic metre.
“Two decisions were made for CNG price hike – either to hike it for all, or to impose surcharge only for private car users,” the BERC official said.
“The private car users may have to pay an annual surcharge on CNG price, if the decision is finalised. The BRTA would collect the surcharge,” he said.
He said the government is not in favour of raising CNG price for all as the previous experience shows the bus owners consequently hikes the fare irrationally by manifold if the CNG price is raised for all. Keeping that in mind, the authorities are planning to impose surcharge only on the private car users.
The six companies that distribute gas across the country are Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited, Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited, Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited, Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited and Sundarban Gas Company Limited. The gas prices were last revised on September 1 last year.
