THE approval of the ‘Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) (Amendment) Bill, 2014’ by the Cabinet on Monday foreshadows the government’s intention to cover its misdeeds in the name of ‘public benefit’. The government is in fact giving unfair financial advantages to a group of people who are making bucks illegally depriving 160 million people of the country.
A report carried in this newspaper on Tuesday said, the Cabinet agreed that the law to facilitate increasing power and energy production which was enacted in 2010 for a span of two years was enough effective and therefore it was extended for two more years upto 2014. According to the Cabinet Secretary, the law’s implementation has benefited everyone as earlier on it was not possible to meet the growing demand of power and energy throughout the country under archaic procurement laws and regulations. The Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act, 2010 is set to expire on October 11 of this year after a 4-year run. It seems like another extension will soon follow suit as the draft of a Power Division proposal on the aforementioned act has been approved and the act will be extended till 2018. Experts fear this time around it will not be benefiting everyone.
A national expert on the energy and power situation in the country, who is also the Energy Adviser of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh, opined that extending the law will only benefit a small number of elite citizens who are manipulating the government into succumbing to their wants. And to add to that, the project itself no longer holds any advantage for the common masses of Bangladesh as it will unfortunately just increase the power tariff several times. Gas and coal based power plant project have been put on hold by lobbyist groups inside the government who are feeding their incessant greed by making money from rental and quick rental power plants.
A former director of Power Cell denounced that the government intentionally delayed implementing gas-based big power plants and are now extending the act in order to continue corruption and keep an open door to receive money through dishonest channels. When energy experts and economists point out the obvious flaws in the government’s plan as it will take our economy on a painful turn and cause unnecessary pressure on most income groups by increasing the already-high power tariffs.
