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Cheaper fuel to boost private investment in power sector
A strong political will, protection of policies and availability of cheap source of fuel were underlined for private investment in the country’s power sector at an international forum in Dhaka yesterday, reports UNB
Participants of the forum on the "Private Investment in Bangladesh: The Power Sec tor" stressed thdt petroleum import should be made duty-free for generation of power in the private sector as the coun try’s gas reserve is limited.
They also suggested that electricity transmission and distribution Unes should be privatised as serious misman
agement prevailed in the government transmission and distribution mechanism.
Demonstration of a successful example of private sector project in generation of power will open up the possibility of foreign and local private in-
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vestment in the power sector, they told the forum that began Sunday.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has organised the five day meeting with support from the USAID to analyse ‘different countries experiences and opinions of experts for attracting private in-
vestment in Bangladesh's power sector.
Representatives of donors and various-power generation bodies, officials from Indonesia. Philippines, Pakistan and India, and of the PDB, REB and DESA are participating in the forum
Two technical sessions were held on the second day yesterday at a city hotel with Statistics Division Secretary Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Choudhury and Bangladesh Bank Governor Khorshed Alam in the chair in two sessions respectively
USAID Director 'Jeffrey Humber presented a paper on
'The Structuring of Private Power Projects’. Mark Peterson. senior vice president of CC Pace Resources on the 'Commercial Agreement: Key Elements of the Business Deal’ and Roger Wagner, a partner of the McDermott. Will & Emery on the Tariffs. Incerftives and Permits’ in the first session.
Mark Peterson made another presentation on The 'Development Process’ at the same session while Chief Editor of The Financial Express Reazuddin Ahmed and Foreign Investors' Chamber President Mahbub Jamil were the discussants.
In the second session. USAID’s Jeffrey Humber spoke on the’ ’Solicitation. Procurement and Award of Private Power Projects’. Roger Wagner on the 'Security Package and Financing Agreements’. Robert J Fernstrom of the Salomon Brothers presented a paper on the 'Financing Private Power-Private Banking Perspectives.’
The Dally Star editor Mah-fuz Anam and President of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Abdur Rob Chowdhury participated in the discussion.
Emphasising the importance of alternative sources of fuel. Reazuddin Ahmed of The Financial Express said, 75 per cent of the country’s power generation plants are gasbased and the gas reserve would be dried up by the year 2015.
Coal may be a source of fuel for power generation but initially it will be expensive, he said suggesting that petroleum import be made duty free to facilitate private sector power generation at a cheaper cost,
Ahmed observed that hydro-electricity might be the cheapest source of power if the regional political misunderstandings were removed.
Foreign Investors' Chamber President Mahbub Jamil said, a political’commitment of both the government and opposition Is needed for private sector Investment in the power sector.
Citing the example of India, he said load-shedding In Calcutta was totally removed when the private sector came into operation to generate and distribute power in that city.
On the electricity tariff. Jamil said. "Let the market decide tariff rate of power."
The Daily Star editor Mah-fuz Anam said successful implementation of a major project in the private sector would boost the country's image abroad and open up the possibility of foreign investment.
, DCCI President Rob Chowdhury said that power generation In the private sector should be cost-effective and electricity price cheaper than that of the PDB.
He emphasised that consumers should be benefited from the private sector power generation.