West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDCL), which operates in 21 districts of Khulna, Dhaka and Barisal divisions, has sought a 10.36 percent hike or Tk 0.36 per unit in the retail electricity tariff.
As per its proposal, the WZPDCL wants its existing average tariff of Tk 6.38 per unit be refixed at Tk 6.74.
The company placed the proposal at the public hearing arranged by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Berc) at the TCB Auditorium in the city on Tuesday.
Placing the proposal, WZPDCL Managing Director Md Shafique Uddin said mainly the future extra expense following the impact of possible increase in bulk tariff rate and the increased management cost for increased staff salary have pushed his company to seek the hike in existing tariff.
A Berc technical committee which evaluated the proposal found it overstated in their calculation and recommended that WZPDCL’s retail tariff could be increased by maximum Tk 0.11 per unit.
However, the five-member Berc, headed by its chairman, will make the final decision after conclusion of the current hearing. Opposing the proposal, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Advisor Prof Shamsul Alam said the WZPDCL was created huge financial burden on it from the Power Development Board. As a result, the company has been operating as a sick company since its inception.
He also found huge irrationalities in its tariff structure which gave advantages to the large consumers than the small ones.
CPB leader Ruhin Hossain Prince in his written statement alleged that the company has been performing poorly and providing very poor service to the consumers.
He raised a number of allegations against the WQZPDCL, including an unfair practice in pre-paid metre operation.
The Berc will hold public hearing on the tariff hike proposal of North-West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd on Wednesday.
