Power tariffs revised upward
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
FE Report
Electricity has become costlier as Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has announced a hike in power tariffs by 6-7 per cent on an average with effect from Monday (March 1, 2010).
BERC Chairman Syed Yussuf Hossain announced the power tariff hike Tuesday at a press conference in the Commission's conference room.
The Commission announced a unified tariff structure for the subscribers in areas under the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) and West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDC).
The power tariff for the Rural Electrification Board (REB) subscribers was raised in October last by around 10 per cent
For domestic subscribers, the electricity tariff has been increased by 4 to 7.62 per cent depending on their categories, while the electricity price for agriculture is unchanged at Tk 1.93 per unit, said the BERC chairman.
The domestic users, using electricity up to 100 units (kilowatt/hour) will have to pay Tk 2.60 per unit, instead of the previous Tk 2.50 per unit, subscribers using electricity between 101 and 400 units will have to pay Tk 3.30 per unit, instead of Tk 3.15 per unit, and those using more than 400 units will pay Tk 5.65 against the previous Tk 5.25 per unit.
The flat rate for the small industries has been fixed at Tk 4.35 per unit, up from the previous Tk 4.02, while the peak-hour electricity rate is Tk 5.86 per unit against the previous Tk 5.82 per unit and the off-peak rate is Tk 3.50 against the previous Tk 3.20 per unit.
Commercial consumers will have to pay a flat rate of Tk 5.58 per unit against the previous rate of Tk 5.30 while the off-peak rate is Tk 4.05 per unit against the previous Tk 3.80 per unit and the peak-hour rate is Tk 8.45 per unit against the previous Tk 8.20 per unit.
The flat rate for consumers of the 11 kilovolt (kV) category has been fixed at Tk 4.17 per unit against the previous Tk 3.80, while the off-peak-hour rate for them is Tk 3.43 per unit against the previous Tk 3.14 and the peak-hour rate is Tk 7.12 against the previous Tk 6.73.
For the consumers of the 33 kV electricity category, the flat rate has been fixed at Tk 3.92 per unit instead of the previous Tk 3.58, while the off-peak rate is Tk 3.33 against the previous Tk 3.03 and the peak-hour rate is Tk 6.82 against the previous Tk 6.45.
The flat rate for the 132 kV category consumers is Tk 3.10 per unit against the previous Tk 2.82. Power distribution entities and big industries buying electricity from the PDB or any other electricity generating company belong to this category.
"The new power tariffs have been fixed at rates much below the expectations of the state-owned power entities," the BERC chairman said.
The interest of the country and its development, consumers, the companies concerned and the investors were taken into consideration before fixing the new tariff rates, he said justifying the hike.
Responding to a query, BERC member Mokhlesur Rahman admitted that the price of essentials would rise due to the power tariff hike.
He, however, said the price of an item worth Tk 100, manufacturing of which requires electricity, should increase by maximum Tk 2 to 3, he added.
The BERC chairman expressed hope that the annual revenue of the PDB, DPDC, DESCO and WZPDC would increase by Tk 1.14 billion, Tk 1.32 billion, Tk 570 million and Tk 260 million respectively due to the hike.
Another report adds: The country's industry leaders expressed their grave disappointment over the latest price hike of electricity, terming it as an unwise and unjustified move of the government.
"When we are under serious electricity crisis, its price hike is obviously an overburden to our starving apparel industry," said president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy.
Mentioning the continuous export decrease that the country's largest export sector is facing for last couple of months, he vehemently criticised the government's decision.
"If we are assured of uninterrupted power supply to our industries, we would have no complaint over the price hike," Murshedy said.
Echoing the apparel industry leader, former general secretary of Bangladesh Re-Rolling Mills Association (BRMA) Sheikh Masudul Alam foreshadowed probable price hike of MS-rod and other end products in near future.
Electricity has become costlier as Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has announced a hike in power tariffs by 6-7 per cent on an average with effect from Monday (March 1, 2010).
BERC Chairman Syed Yussuf Hossain announced the power tariff hike Tuesday at a press conference in the Commission's conference room.
The Commission announced a unified tariff structure for the subscribers in areas under the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) and West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDC).
The power tariff for the Rural Electrification Board (REB) subscribers was raised in October last by around 10 per cent
For domestic subscribers, the electricity tariff has been increased by 4 to 7.62 per cent depending on their categories, while the electricity price for agriculture is unchanged at Tk 1.93 per unit, said the BERC chairman.
The domestic users, using electricity up to 100 units (kilowatt/hour) will have to pay Tk 2.60 per unit, instead of the previous Tk 2.50 per unit, subscribers using electricity between 101 and 400 units will have to pay Tk 3.30 per unit, instead of Tk 3.15 per unit, and those using more than 400 units will pay Tk 5.65 against the previous Tk 5.25 per unit.
The flat rate for the small industries has been fixed at Tk 4.35 per unit, up from the previous Tk 4.02, while the peak-hour electricity rate is Tk 5.86 per unit against the previous Tk 5.82 per unit and the off-peak rate is Tk 3.50 against the previous Tk 3.20 per unit.
Commercial consumers will have to pay a flat rate of Tk 5.58 per unit against the previous rate of Tk 5.30 while the off-peak rate is Tk 4.05 per unit against the previous Tk 3.80 per unit and the peak-hour rate is Tk 8.45 per unit against the previous Tk 8.20 per unit.
The flat rate for consumers of the 11 kilovolt (kV) category has been fixed at Tk 4.17 per unit against the previous Tk 3.80, while the off-peak-hour rate for them is Tk 3.43 per unit against the previous Tk 3.14 and the peak-hour rate is Tk 7.12 against the previous Tk 6.73.
For the consumers of the 33 kV electricity category, the flat rate has been fixed at Tk 3.92 per unit instead of the previous Tk 3.58, while the off-peak rate is Tk 3.33 against the previous Tk 3.03 and the peak-hour rate is Tk 6.82 against the previous Tk 6.45.
The flat rate for the 132 kV category consumers is Tk 3.10 per unit against the previous Tk 2.82. Power distribution entities and big industries buying electricity from the PDB or any other electricity generating company belong to this category.
"The new power tariffs have been fixed at rates much below the expectations of the state-owned power entities," the BERC chairman said.
The interest of the country and its development, consumers, the companies concerned and the investors were taken into consideration before fixing the new tariff rates, he said justifying the hike.
Responding to a query, BERC member Mokhlesur Rahman admitted that the price of essentials would rise due to the power tariff hike.
He, however, said the price of an item worth Tk 100, manufacturing of which requires electricity, should increase by maximum Tk 2 to 3, he added.
The BERC chairman expressed hope that the annual revenue of the PDB, DPDC, DESCO and WZPDC would increase by Tk 1.14 billion, Tk 1.32 billion, Tk 570 million and Tk 260 million respectively due to the hike.
Another report adds: The country's industry leaders expressed their grave disappointment over the latest price hike of electricity, terming it as an unwise and unjustified move of the government.
"When we are under serious electricity crisis, its price hike is obviously an overburden to our starving apparel industry," said president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy.
Mentioning the continuous export decrease that the country's largest export sector is facing for last couple of months, he vehemently criticised the government's decision.
"If we are assured of uninterrupted power supply to our industries, we would have no complaint over the price hike," Murshedy said.
Echoing the apparel industry leader, former general secretary of Bangladesh Re-Rolling Mills Association (BRMA) Sheikh Masudul Alam foreshadowed probable price hike of MS-rod and other end products in near future.