& 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

Pricing formula on domestic petrol sale likely

UNB, DfaOa
The government is likely to introduce a permanent pricing formula on the sale of • petroleum fuels on the domestic market through periodic adjustments-upward or downward.
According to official sources. Energy’ Division of the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’ is now devising such formula to provide a permanent solution to the problem that government has been facing for long in dealing with the fuel-price adjustments.
Under the arrangement, every' three months a regular adjustment would be made to the local price of petroleum to keep it on a par with the international rates, thereby reducing government subsidy for the sector.
The government enhanced the prices of all kinds of petroleum fuels by about 35 percent with effect since July V 1 when the overseas petroleum prices crossed USS 150 per barrel.
During this upward adjustment of prices, the government said that it would cut down government subsidy by Tk 7,000 crore from the total requirement of Tk 17,000 crore a year if the latest price level persisted.
But. after that adjustment, the international price level came down to USS 1-00.
In view of the volatile international petroleum market, the present caretaker government moved to put in place a flexible permanent pricing formula.
Sources said the first benefit of the new pricing formula might go to the consumers of octane and petrol who are now buying the two products at the higher rates than international prices.
It means the local price of octane and petrol will fall if such adjustment takes place soon as those two products are selling at higher rates on the local market than international market prices.
When contacted, Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Ministry
Professor M Tamim admitted to his ministry making such a move.
He said the Energy Division is now very intensely examining the whole issue as to what kind of impact it would bring on the local market and also other sectors.
"The local petroleum price will be looked into in the light of the international price. This is the main theme of the new permanent formula," he told the news agency.
He, however, noted that the pricing formula would work every three months if the gap between local and international market prices is more than two percent.
The consumption of octane and petrol is very low in the country--only 100,000 tonnes. This is very insignificant compared to the total requirement of petroleum fuels, said an official of the Energy Division.
The total annual domestic requirement of all kinds of petroleum fuel, including diesel, kerosene and jet fuel, is 36 to 38 lakh tonnes a year.