Finance minister AMA Muhith said Tuesday that the gap between electricity demand and supply should not exceed 20 per cent to ease public sufferings.
Currently country's electricity demand has reached around 11,000 megawatts (mw) and the maximum supply as recorded is around 7,000 mw, meaning that the gap is around 36.36 per cent.
"This gap must be reduced," he said.
The finance minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on energy efficiency organised by Power Division at Mukti Hall of Bidduyt Bhaban in the city.
Chaired by Power Division Additional Secretary Taposh Kumar Roy, the seminar was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid Bipu and Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman AR Khan.
Power Division Joint secretary Siddique Zobair delivered a keynote presentation titled, "Energy Saving in Bangladesh: Problems and Possibility".
Speaking on the occasion the finance minister expressed the opinion for a specific timeframe for ending production of conventional bricks to protect environment.
"We must set a timeframe to bring an end to the production of bricks from conventional brick kilns. We must bring them under control," he said.
He said the government has undertaken a programme to replace the conventional brick kilns with the automatic ones to safeguard environment.
The finance minister said he would consider some of the proposals related with power transmission and distribution to ensure better electricity supplies.
State minister Nasrul Hamid requested the finance minister to offer some incentives in the proposed national budget to help expand the use of renewable energy across the country.
He sought exemption of import duties on energy saving light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs and duty cuts on the import of transformers and spare parts used in power transmission and distribution.
Seeking special incentives for renewable energy-related products to promote green energy across the country, he said renewable energy will be the major player in future power generation.
He also suggested incentives for those real estate builders who will set up green buildings through using energy efficiency equipment and power system.
The state minister criticised the production and use of conventional bricks in real estate sector saying that this brick is destroying our top soil and other environments as well.
Citing the example of his electoral constituency at Keraniganj, he said now no fruits are produced in Keraniganj because of pollution by more than 100 brick fields there.
He also drew attention of the finance minister to the incentives given to the industrialists who set up industry outside Dhaka.
He said these industries will get tax benefits for going outside Dhaka. But this has led to indiscriminate and unplanned setting up of industries in rural areas which creates big problem for power supply and distribution. This increases the cost of power distribution, he added.
"But regulation should be amended giving a directive that only those industries which will be set up in industrial zone will get tax benefits and incentives", he said.
The state minister also sought financial support from the finance ministry to introduce pre-paid gas metres in Dhaka, Chittagong and other cities.
BERC chairman AR Khan stressed on taking stern action by the government against illegal gas connections.
He said different gas companies are disconnecting illegal gas lines in the morning, but these are being restored in the eveining.
