& 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

Electricity Price

30pc hike on

Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is preparing to announce a 30 percent hike in power tariffs, taking effect from September 1.
The declaration would be made within this week, a member of the energy regulator told The Daily Star
SEE PAGE 19 COL 4
FROM PAGE 1 yesterday.
The electricity tariff, both at bulk and retail levels, could go up by 30 percent, according to another BERC official.
This would be the sixthtime increase in power tariffs since the government came to power and the fourth in the last six months, as the government has been struggling to cut its spending on subsidies on energy.
BERC has already received proposals from all state-run power distribution companies for at least 50 percent increase in retail electricity tariffs.
The Power Development Board (PDB) has sent a proposal to the energy watchdog to increase retail electricity prices by an average of 57 percent.
Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) suggested increasing retail electricity prices by 53.73 percent on an average while Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) by 50 percent and the West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDC) by56.86percent.
The commission has already held a hearing to increase bulk tariff.
State-run distribution entities DPDC, Desco, Rural Electrification Board (REB), and WZPDC are PDB's bulk buyers.
PDB, who itself is a distributor, sought a 50 percent rise in bulk tariff.
The energy regulator has decided to expand its power tariff slabs to seven from the existing three to help households keep their electricity bills at a tolerable level.
The range of the proposed slabs are 0 to75 units (kilowatt-hour), 76 to 200 units, 201 to 300 units, 301 to 400 units, 401 to 500 units, 501 to 700 units and 701 units and above.
These slabs would be introduced when the commission announces the new power tariff structure. The commission, however, has not fixed the tariff for each slab.
Now a consumer pays Tk 3.05 for a unit (one kilowatt) of power if the total monthly usage is below 100 units. In the second slab ranging from 100 to 399 units, a consumer pays Tk 4.29 per unit and for consumption of400 units and above a customer pays Tk 7.89 per unit.