The technical evaluation committee of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) yesterday recommended increasing power price by 3.30 percent and 3.65 percent for DESCO and DPDC to reduce the burden of losses.

The suggestion came after a public hearing of different stakeholders at the commission office in Dhaka.

Earlier on October 18, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd submitted a proposal to BERC to

increase its power price by 11.31 percent while Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd submitted another proposal four days later for a 11.69 percent increase.

After the hearing, BERC Chairman Mohammad Imdadul Haque urged the stakeholders to give their opinions regarding power price hike by January 3.

"The commission will make a decision after an evaluation of the opinions."

A representative from the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, Prof Shamsul Alam opposed a further increase in the power price as, he said, the step would cause people to suffer more.

"We do not want any hike

in the power price again,' he said, adding the commission at the time of the previous hike in September stated that it would not go for another increase within a year.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, a director of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, expressed fear that the coun-try's ready-made garment sector would lose competitiveness in the global market for the increased power price would push productioncostsup.

"The commission must not accept the proposals for a price hike of electricity now."

Echoing the views of

Mahtab, Joint Secretary of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry M A Rahim Khan said that if the power price was increased the prices of other consumable items would also increase in the domestic market.

Managing Director of DESCO Arzad Hossain and Managing Director of DPDC Nazrul Hassan, however, said they would find it difficult to run the companies and ensure uninterrupted power supply if the prices were not increased.

The BERC's committee on Sunday recommended a 4.84 percent increase in the power price at retail level for the Power Development Board.