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Decision on gas price hike by mid Nov

UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) nt ay announce its decision on gas price hike by the middle of this month.
BERC sources said they are examining the proposal of state-owned Petrobangla for raising the gas price by 65 percent on an average and also the opposite view expressed by other stakeholders and consumers.
“We're hopeful of completing our job by the middle of the current month and place it before commission's top level body for consideration,' said a BERC official preferring anonymity.
Earlier on September 24, BERC held a public hearing on the issue where Petrobangla sought for 65 percent rise in gas price. But other stakeholders vehemently opposed the idea.
After the hearing. BERC chairman had announced that the commission would announce its decision by October 31.But the decision was stalled in the face of stiff opposition from the industrial and other sectors.
Export-oriented industries like garments and textiles are opposed to the price hike, arguing that it will adversely affect them in view of the worldwide economic recession.
They said if the state-owned petroleum corporation is allowed to increase the gas tariff, it will have
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a chain Impact on the entire socioeconomic sector.
They suggested that the government should first evolve a policy for giving subsidy to the energy and power sector and then come with proposal for price hike.
But Petrobangla demanded the gas price hike on average by 65 percent, saying that if it is not allowed Petrobangla will not be able to continue Its operation incurring huge loss.
Petrobangla has suggested raising the rate of double burner oven to Tk 600 from Tk 400 and of single burner oven to Tk 550 from Tk350.
For metered domestic consumers, the raise was proposed to Tk 208 from Tkl30, an increase of 26.81 percent.
Similarly, Petrobangla proposed to raise gas price for commercial users by 26.08 percent, meaning that per-unit (1000 cubic feet) price will come to Tk 291.59 from the existingTk 233.12.
For the industrial consumers, Petrobangla proposed to re-fix per-unit gas price at Tk 182.25 instead of present rate ofTk 148.13, with a rise of 23.03 percent. The same rate will apply to the tea-estates.
For captive power plants, the new rate is proposed to be Tk 182.25 per unit, up from existingTk 105.59.
Petrobangla proposed Tk 93.73 per-unit gas price for the Power Development Board (PDB), independent power producer (IPP) and small power plant (SPP) from existingTk 73.91.