& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Bapex for hiking gas tariff over 3 times

Briefs CA about how to make it self-reliant

Sharier Khan
Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (Bapex) Tuesday during a presentation before the chief adviser sought a gas sale tariff of Tk 25 per thousand cubic metre of gas for the next two years instead of a measly Tk 7 to help the company achieve break even.
The 90-minute presentation focussed on Bapex's financial problems and how Bapex could become a self-reliant exploration and production company through immediate and mid-term support from the government.
Sources said following the presentation, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed asked the finance and energy secretaries to jointly identify what kind of support could be given to Bapex in the next fiscal year. Special assistant to the chief adviser on energy and the secretaries for energy and finance were present at the presentation. Since its inception in 1989, Bapex was hardly given any project to help it grow. Due to sparse and irregular approval of exploration and development projects, Bapex only has a couple of gas producing wells which supply only 31 million cubic feet of gas a day.
At different times, different governments had made big promises about investing in Bapex but in reality, none of those investments were made. Approved projects were never given funds on time due to lack of political commitment in the matter.
"In reality many policymakers do not understand that domestic gas production is keeping the economy alive. For instance, last year's total gas production was equivalent to 14 million tonnes of oil. In today's oil price of over 100 dollars per tonne, this gas saved the country oil import of about a stunning 10 billion US dollars," said a
wished its success.
Terming the present relations between Bangladesh and China excellent, Fakhruddin said both the countries are enjoying a comprehensive partnership of cooperation, and expressed satisfaction over the growing bilateral trade.
The head of the caretaker government reaffirmed Bangladesh's support to "One China policy".
He said Dhaka - Kunming air link has marked a great success and enhanced trade and people-to-people contacts.
The chief adviser emphasised Bangladesh-Myanmar-China road links for further improving trade and bilateral cooperation.
He also stressed the need for reducing trade imbalance between the two countries, and sought Chinese support for the agriculture sector as Bangladesh is focused on further development of agriculture to boost food production to keep its domestic market price stable in the wake of global price hike.
Hie chief adviser also sought increased Chinese investment in Bangladesh saying the government is thinking about setting up a special economic zone where Chinese investors can invest in.
The Chinese foreign minister said China considers Bangladesh its good and tested friend
Appreciating the performance of the caretaker government under the leadership of Fakhruddin Ahmed, he said the present caretaker government has done a lot for the people of Bangladesh.
He emphasised further increasing cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries and thanked Bangladesh for allowing China to be an observer of Sa arc.
Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Zheng Qingdian, Secretary to Chief Adviser's Office
Kazi Aminul Islam, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim and Bangladesh Ambassador in Beijing were also present at the meeting.