PMO enquires into condensate irregularities
The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) yesterday asked the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to let it know the status of condensate trade in the country. The PMO inquiry comes weeks after the Energy Division of the ministry moved Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to stop supplies of condensates to three private refineries after The Independent ran stories on the gross irregularities and corruption in the condensate sector. An Energy Division official, preferring anonymity, said that three refineries in question would not be given condensates, as they were not able to show any proper documents to the BPC officials. All refiners are obliged to pay taxes on the sales of all petroleum products. The refineries were unable to show the tax papers to the government agency concerned, indicating that they sold condensates to the curb market, said the official.
