Power board to pay BPC Tk 25 crore
Special correspondent
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will pay more than Tk 25 crore as demurrage to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) for not collecting imported oil for some rental power plants on time. The fine amount will be approved by the BPDB board today, sources told The Independent. The BPDB has to pay the amount in dollars as the vessels owners have claimed from the BPC. Government officials explained that in 2012 and 2013, some fuel-based rental power plants failed to start production in time. But the BPDP had already instructed BPC to supply millions of tonnes of oil for those and the BPC actually imported the oil in time. The oil had to remain on the sea for many days because the rental plants were not ready. Initially, the BPC had claimed USD 3,644,110 as demurrage, but after negotiations, the amount was brought down to USD 3,278,151. The BPDB imposed more than Tk. 5 billion as late demurrage on some eight-odd power-producing companies. It could finally get more than USD 22.7666 million from them.
