Bangladesh Power Development Board has submitted a proposal for bulk power price hike to the Energy Regulatory Commission to offset its huge deficit that would stand at Tk 8,608 crore in the next fiscal year, PDB Chairman Engineer Khaled Mahmood told the newsmen on Monday. He said that the BERC has increased the gas tariff which will ultimately increase the production cost of electricity. He however did not mention any amount or percentage to the BERC. BERC had increased power tariff for per unit of electricity by Tk 0.35 or 5.3 per cent on average on November 23, 2017, which came into effect from December 1, 2017.
PDB has planned to earn Tk 36,600 crore in 2020. To get the amount of money by producing electricity, it will need Tk 45,208 crore. So, PDB Chairman is trying to avail every possible opportunity to save his organization from the possible deficit. But we find it highly objectionable, if it will be done cutting the pocket of ordinary users. Increasing bulk power rate means, it will directly affect mills, industries and other production-oriented establishments. And ultimately the ordinary people will have to bear the additional cost indirectly as the common buyers.
It is to be noted that, the PDB officials in a workshop on October 12 said that there was no need to increase power tariff as the average production cost of power generation had decreased. The officials also claimed that the present cost of per unit electricity production is Tk 5.64, which was earlier Tk 6.16. Here, PDB’s decision to stop production from the high cost fuel-based power plants has played a great role to cut the cost. So, it’s clear crystal clear that — even if the gas tariff is hiked, PDB can minimize the production cost applying the latest technique. It’s a big question, why PBD has suddenly twisted its stance. What’s going on inside the PDB?
We know the government is desperately in need of money not only for bearing the cost of running the government but also for maintaining the services. Corruption and downright plundering of public money in and around the government have made the situation difficult. The plunderers must be forced to return the money they robbed. This should be done on an urgent basis because they are already on the run to leave the country.
The Anti-Corruption Commission must pick up courage to stop plunderers from going abroad to enjoy the illegal money they have stashed away.
We hear a lot of grumbling about loan defaults of the genuine businessmen. But those who have plundered thousands of crore taka from banks, stock exchange manipulation and incomplete costly projects are not being hauled up. On the contrary the government expects the people to bear high prices for meeting the deficiency of PDB and the higher cost of other expensive projects.
The government is deaf about the hardship and anger of the people. The government has become so used to ignoring the people and their interest that it cannot see the mess it has created all around the country, hoping the gun power of the police will always be with them to protect them. But we feel the government must think how to bring a peaceful change urgently against its own incompetence so that the country could be able to move forward under new leadership.
