Proposal at BERC to adjust power tariff: Nasrul
UNB
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid yesterday said a proposal has been sent to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) seeking adjustment to the electricity tariff, indicating a hike by Tk 0.30 per unit, reports UNB.
Its a regular phenomenon to submit proposal to the regulator. Now, its upto the regulator to take decision on the issue, he told reporters at his ministry.
The junior minister said they have to move the price-hike proposal due to the higher petroleum price that public sector plants have to pay.
He, however, said had the public sector power plants been allowed to get the similar facilities like private sector in importing petroleum fuel for power plants, it might have not required to adjust the power tariff.
Official sources said the private sector power plants are now getting 9 per cent concession on the import of petroleum directly from international market for their power plants.
But the public sector entities do not avail the facilities as they have to buy petroleum fuel from the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
If we get the similar facilities, it will be great relief for the power sector and we dont need to go for electricity price adjustment, Nasrul Hamid said pointing the discrimination between public and private sector plants.
Last time, the power tariff was raised by 2.9 per cent on an average in September 2015.
The state minister said the government has planned to provide electricity to cent per cent households by December 2018. To achieve the goal, about 3000 MW power will be added to the national grid in the next one year.
He also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate two power plants on September 10 through videoconferencing.
