Late last month, the government raised the price of gas by ten per cent on average. The increase was also made retroactive — from March 1. Although consumers would find themselves none too happy over the prospect of paying more for the fuel, the price rise, in itself, perhaps is not that much of an event. After all. the increase in the cost of public utilities represents a continuous trend. Rather, it is the way the measure was put through which calls for attention and the inconsistencies therein which attract notice.

We live in a democracy. We also have a free and alert press. Actions of the government thus come under close scrutiny and the citizens come to know of things early. So it happened with the latest dose of gas price raise. Certain aspects of this episode merit special mention.

It has been reported widely in the press that the government was approached by the concerned agency in the matter of gas price raise, months ago. but the authorities withheld a decision in view of proximity of the city mayoral elections. In the f^vent. the ruling party lost the election in the two cities where gas price increase might have become an issue and won in the two cities where it was not. Apparently, • delaying a decision on gas pricing did not help matters.

Then there is the question of responsibility for the gas price raise. Here also, it has been widely reported in the press that the Asian Development Bank (AQB) has been pressing hard for the price increase. The ADB is said to have held up releasing a big chunk of project loan till the price was raised. It was further reported that the ADB has put a deadline by which gas price must be. increased if the loan in question was to be availed of. To the uninitiated, it would come out clearly that it was the ADB which was prompting the price raise. In a way, the responsibility for the price increase is thus passed neatly on to the ADB.

Such happenings do not raise the stock of our goodwill with the donor community. Nor do these Improve the show of our commitment to reforms. Even worse, such dealings hurt the credibility of the government actions in the eyes of the public. The image of the government is affected. Citizens come to know of these anyway and start doubting transparency in government's moves.

,Th‘e “govei’ihnent should take any measure for raising the price of a product only if it is convinced itself that this is something that needs to be done. And, it should take the people more into confidence. The government would probably fare far better then.