Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has recommended increasing the price of electricity by 15.43 percent at the consumer level after the wholesale level. If this recommendation is implemented, the price of electricity per unit will increase by 1 taka 21 paisa.
The recommendation was raised on the first day of a two-day public hearing at Shaheed AKM Shamsul Haque Khan Auditorium of BIAM Foundation in the capital on Sunday (January 8).
However, by participating in this hearing, the Hi-Tech Park authorities demanded to supply electricity for the Hi-Tech Park at a lower price without any profit. Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, Managing Director of Hi-Tech Park Authority, has asked for electricity in a separate category for 109 hi-tech parks.
In his appeal, he requested creation of special customer category similar to agricultural irrigation pumps for investors of hi-tech parks and setting unit rate of Tk. 5.
He made this proposal to the electricity distribution company during the public hearing on the increase in electricity prices today. BERC will give a decision on this matter after a few days.
The hearing on the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited’s (PGCB) electricity transmission tariff proposal will continue till tomorrow in Ganashanani (Public hearing).
BERC will announce its order on electricity rates within 60 working days of the hearing.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), an organization working on the protection of consumer rights, thinks that if the price of electricity is increased at this moment in the ongoing economic crisis, it will affect the common people.
The electricity price was last increased on February 27, 2020 at the consumer level. Earlier, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) increased the wholesale price of electricity by 19.92 percent on November 21 last year. After this, six organizations including the Power Development Board applied for an increase in the retail price of electricity.
