4-day public hearing on power tariff hike begins January 20

A four-day public hearing on fresh electricity tariff hike for all categories of consumers will begin from January 20 before announcing the range of increase.
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has arranged the public hearing on January 20, 21, 22 and 25 on the tariff hike proposals submitted by the state-owned electricity distribution companies.
The Commission this time will also consider an application from state-run Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) to raise the existing electricity transmission charges.
All electricity distribution companies have already submitted fresh proposals to the energy regulator seeking hike in electricity tariff within the range from 14.75 per cent to 18.50 per cent.
State-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has sought a hike of electricity tariff at bulk level by 18.12 per cent or Tk 0.81 per unit (1 kilowatt hour).
The Commission has urged all the interested individuals and organisations to submit their names to the Commission for taking part in the public hearings.
All the state-run electricity distribution companies earlier submitted their proposals to the BERC for electricity tariff hike, which was subsequently accepted by the Commission for consideration.
As per the BERC schedule, the public hearing of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for tariff hike of electricity on bulk level will be held on January 20.
Public hearings against the proposals of PGCB and West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDC) will be held on January 21.
The BERC will hold public hearings on the retail level tariff hike of BPDB and Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) on January 22.
Public hearings on the tariff hike proposals of Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) and Rural Electrification Board (REB) will be held on January 25.
The announcement of fresh electricity tariff hike might be made by the end of this month.
The Commission had hiked electricity tariff at the retail level by 6.96 per cent on an average with effect from March 1, 2014.
The energy regulator then declared the tariff hike 'abruptly' avoiding the tradition of holding a formal press briefing for making such an announcement.
It did not hike electricity tariff for 'life-line' residential subscribers, who use up to 50 units (kilowatt-hour) of electricity per month.
The tariff for irrigation was not hiked then.
Since 2009, the BERC increased retail electricity tariff seven times.
The cost of electricity has been rising as the government adopted short-term measures of installing dozens of high-cost diesel and furnace oil-fired rental and quick rental power plants to ease the country's mounting electricity crisis.
azizjst@yahoo.com