UNB, Dhaka :
RMG factory owners on Sunday voiced deep concern over the recent power tariff hike.
A statement issued by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said the 6.96 percent increase in power tariff will result in the reduction of competitiveness of the export-oriented industry.
Factors such as the increase in the RMG production cost by 13 percent over the recent past and the rise in the value of the Taka by 8 percent against the dollar have already constricted the export profit, it added.
The RMG sector is also under a tremendous pressure, both at the national and the international levels, to invest in the remediation and retrofitting of the factory buildings, particularly after the tragic incidents of Tazreen fire and Rana Plaza collapse, said the statement.
The BGMEA urged the government to keep the power prices for the RMG sector unchanged to ensure that the sector remains competitive in the world market.
The government on Thursday raised the power tariff by 6.96 percent on average with effect from the billing month of March.
The commercial user will have to pay Tk 9.58 per unit instead of Tk 9 in the flat rate. They will pay Tk 8.16 during the off-peak hours and Tk 11.58 during the peak hours.
The consumers of 11-kV industries will pay Tk 7.32 instead of Tk 6.81.
