The energy regulator yesterday came under criticism for holding public hearings on proposals aimed at almost doubling retail tariffs on natural gas for different users.

Consumer rights groups, industry experts and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) opposed the proposals put forwarded to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) by distributors.

They voiced their opposition at a public hearing on the proposals from state-run Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) which is seeking to raise the wheeling charge of natural gas to Tk 0.3665 per cubic metre from Tk 0.1565.

Gas distribution companies are seeking to raise the monthly gas tariffs for domestic consumers to Tk 1,200 from Tk 650 for double burners and Tk 1,100 from Tk 600 for single burner.

At the hearing at the BERC in the capital, a technical committee of the commission said the GTCL would need Tk 0.2956 to transmit a cubic metre of gas, which would give the company an annual profit of Tk 200 crore a year.

The GTCL said it needed the profit to invest in implementing its own gas transmission projects.

M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh, said the consumers would not allow the GTCL to make profit as the distribution of the profit was creating "anarchy" in the sector.

He urged the commission to allocate funds for implementing the gas pipeline projects, if needed.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of the FBCCI, urged the BERC not to raise the prices of natural gas at least for the next one year as the consumers were already overburdened with the existing cost of living.

Khondkar Abdus Saleque, an international energy expert, urged the BERC to take necessary steps to improve efficiency of power plants which run on natural gas.

He also said the government had "created" the shortage of gas supplies from domestic fields as it had failed to explore the potentials in onshore and offshore areas.

Six state-run gas distribution utilities are seeking the hike in retail tariffs as their parent organisation, Petrobangla, wanted to raise the bulk tariff.

Petrobangla sought the bulk tariff hike, saying it has been paying taxes on

the gas sold to it by the international oil companies from the last fiscal year.

The state-run oil company also pointed out that its revenue earnings dropped due to fall in gas-condensate price and low bank interests on its deposits.

Gas distribution companies are seeking to raise tariff on per cubic metre of gas for domestic metered-consumerstoTk 16.80 fromTk7.

They have also sought to hike per cubic metre gas tariff for power plants to Tk 4.60 from Tk 2.82, for fertiliser factories Tk 4.41 from Tk 2.58, for captive power plants Tk 19.26 from Tk 8.36, and for industries Tk 10.95 from Tk6.74.

They, however, have not proposed any hike for the Compressed Natural Gas(CNG).