The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Wednesday called upon the concerned authorities not to hike gas price illogically before importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). CAB leaders who speak for the common people said it is understood that
the price hike has been planned to ensure parity of gas price with imported LNG price which can’t be justified before LNG arrives.
They said the proposal to raise gas price and the technical committee’s report on it
did not properly reflect in the public hearing and its inclusion will not support gas price hike at this moment.
Why higher import price of LNG should lead to cause price of locally produce gas to
Rise. This is illogical but the government is going to
use it to increase its revenue earning by exporting gas users.
This is an oppressive policy which only a government unfriendly to its people
can resort to, said CAB energy adviser Prof Shamsul Alam at a press briefing held at Reporters Unity auditorium in the city on Wednesday. CAB president Golam Rahman was present.
The consumers’ right organization said that there is no basis to increase the gas price
under the cover of public hearing. People will not accept the increase because it is not a reasonable proposition.
Under the banner ‘Unreasonable proposal and reality of gas price hike’ Golam Rahman said, “corruption and waste” is causing big system loss to gas supply through thousands of miles gas lines, the bulk of it illegally connected passing the financial loss on to consumers.
So the companies are also crying out system loss. But why people should accept
the burden to make up the loss resulting from waste and corruption and also in the name of parity of gas price with LNG price. They demanded transparency at all level to identify accountability and correct it.
Golam Rahman said, “LNG has not yet arrived, it is heard that it will not come before January. Until then, the price of gas should not be increased. After LNG arrives, there may be some logic to increase the gas price. People will not accept the unreasonable rise in price.
Cab energy adviser M Shamsul Alam said, “People will not accept the price of gas by showing system loss.”
In response to a question, he said, “How do they look at the differences between
the 1.5 million tones and four thousand tones of coal stacks?
At the event, they said cab’s objection is to increase the price of LNG mixed gas. The proposal to raise the price and the technical committee’s report on it did not come in the public hearing. Therefore, the CAB has objections to increase the price of gas on the basis of this hearing. The organization also objected to the increase in the name of Titus’s value coordination in the name of System Loss.
They also proposed some recommendations at the press conference that include
the study on existing development of Titas gas distribution system has to be done as quickly as possible. To ensure 100 percent public ownership of the gas sector, the sale of shares in the private sector and the return of shares from the public sector to the public sector.
Equity-based rate of return should be ensured until the gas crisis remains. In order to ensure transparency in the gas sector, a proposal was made to stop the gas advisory-led gas connection committee.
The press conference was also addressed by CAB Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain and general secretary of the Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan.
