CNG station owners protest price-hike bid
Friday, 15 October 2010
Owners of CNG refueling stations in a statement Thursday strongly protested the Petrobangla move to raise the CNG price by sending a proposal to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), reports UNB.
"Without taking initiative to enhance gas production, a move to raise CNG price is a part of conspiracy against the CNG sector," said Zakir Hossain Nayan, secretary general of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owners Association, in the statement.
The statement comes in the wake of reports in different dailies that state-owned Petrobangla Tuesday placed a proposal to raise CNG price by 49.25 per cent.
Expressing grave concern over the Petrobangla move, the statement said that the CNG refueling stations consume only 5 per cent of the gas production. Urging the Petrobangla to take initiative to increase gas production, the CNG station owners said most of the industries as a whole and the power sector in particular have been experiencing severe gas crisis.
Most of the industries are also not getting gas at a required pressure due the gas shortage, they added.
The Petrobangla proposed to raise the CNG price to Tk 25 from the present Tk 16.75 per unit (one cubic metre).
In the proposal, the price of the "feed gas" supplied to refueling stations, was proposed to be raised to Tk 18 from the present rate of Tk 9.75 per unit.
As per the BERC law, the regulatory body will now give its decision on the price escalation after holding a public hearing.
"Without taking initiative to enhance gas production, a move to raise CNG price is a part of conspiracy against the CNG sector," said Zakir Hossain Nayan, secretary general of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owners Association, in the statement.
The statement comes in the wake of reports in different dailies that state-owned Petrobangla Tuesday placed a proposal to raise CNG price by 49.25 per cent.
Expressing grave concern over the Petrobangla move, the statement said that the CNG refueling stations consume only 5 per cent of the gas production. Urging the Petrobangla to take initiative to increase gas production, the CNG station owners said most of the industries as a whole and the power sector in particular have been experiencing severe gas crisis.
Most of the industries are also not getting gas at a required pressure due the gas shortage, they added.
The Petrobangla proposed to raise the CNG price to Tk 25 from the present Tk 16.75 per unit (one cubic metre).
In the proposal, the price of the "feed gas" supplied to refueling stations, was proposed to be raised to Tk 18 from the present rate of Tk 9.75 per unit.
As per the BERC law, the regulatory body will now give its decision on the price escalation after holding a public hearing.