Anisul Islam Noor :
The cost of power generation in the country has been falling with the decreasing cost of the fuel import. But no benefit, in term of prices has reached the consumers or industrialists level of it, experts said.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) continues to raise the power tariffs, they said.
BERC sources said, they are working on the issue. The price will be increased to some extent. Based on the public hearing held in January and February, the price of gas will be increased at least by 20 percent and the electricity price by five to six percent.
A meeting was held in the Prime Minister’s office in this regard recently and it was concluded after threadbare discussion that price-hike would be justified despite fall of oil price in the international market. The government’s plan to subsidise liquefied petroleum (LP) gas along with increasing the gas price was also discussed.
Prices of petroleum products are likely to fall further in the international market. One of the reasons is lifting of the embargo on Iran by the USA and its allies. Oil rich Iran was unable for years to sell oil in the international market because of the embargo. The flow of oil in the international market will go up in a plummeting of prices.
Iran has offered to take huge amounts of jute bags from Bangladesh in exchange of oil, sources said, adding there is no need to increase electricity prices in the country at the moment.
Sources in the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources said the government so far gave approval to 11 rental and quick rental power companies to import furnace oil for their use. Six to seven of the companies have already started importing the fuel. Almost 730 megawatts of electricity is being generated presently, through their imported fuel.
