DIFFERENT government, semi-government, autonomous offices and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have not paid Tk 7,840 crore electricity bills to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources till November last year. According to a news report published in a national daily on Friday, of the total amount, the maximum Tk 6,323 crore is pending with the NGOs while Tk 1,517 crore remains with the government offices. However, the bills remain pending with the NGOs can be realised within a maximum period of two months while those with the government offices remain blocked for a long time.
Sources at Power Cell, the think tank of the power department sector, said the main hindrance to the development of power sector is non-realisation of pending bills. This situation can only be overcome through the implementation of pre-paid smart meter system and arrangement of smooth power distribution. Further actions need to be taken to match the demand-supply gap of electricity in a sustainable way and thus match the pace of the economic growth of the country. Massive capacity enhancement and expansion projects also should have to be undertaken.
Currently, six power distribution companies that supply power are Bangladesh Power Development Board, Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Unnayan Board, Dhaka Power Distribution Company, Dhaka Electric Supply Company, West Zone Power Distribution Company and Northern Electricity Supply Company. The state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board has sought Tk 5,800 crore from the government to carry out the regular power generation and distribution expenses, as huge amounts of electricity bills remain unpaid. However, it said the money would return once the due electricity bills are collected. The BPDB is the lone buyer of electricity from all the country’s power plants, including ‘expensive’ oil-fired, gas-fired, and coal-fired ones and has to pay the plant owners according to power purchase agreements.
Bangladesh today faces a different future which it did not encounter decades ago when relatively abundant natural gas seemed to be the key to prosperity. It needs long- and short- term plans to meet the demand growth and requirements from the industrial and household sectors. Power sector planning should also take note of the fact that some ageing plants need to be converted into efficient ones with fresh investments.
