The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has raised the gas prices for new industries and captive power plants by 33 percent, effective from April 13 (Sunday).

BERC chairman Jalal Ahmed announced the new rates  at a press briefing on Sunday.

According to the new rates, industrial consumers have now to pay Tk 40 per cubic metre of gas, up from the previous Tk 30.

Captive power plants have to pay Tk 42 per cubic metre against the previous rate of Tk30.75.

The gas tariff for all other consumer categories including households will remain unchanged, the BERC said.

Earlier, six state-owned Petrobangla and its six gas subsidiary gas distribution companies appealed to the BERC to raise gas price to Tk 75.72 per unit for new connections in industries and captive power plants.

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Responding to the appeals, the BERC held a public hearing on February 26 this year where most of the stakeholders from the industrial sector opposed such appeals.    

BERC chairman Jalal Ahmed said despite the hike in prices, the government has to pay huge subsidies to cover up the loss of utilities, particularly the distribution companies.

He, however, said the BERC has not yet calculated the required subsidies, but suggested the utilities to reduce their system loss through enhancing management capabilities and efficiency.

He also dismissed the idea that the new gas price will create discrimination among the new and old industries and captive power plants.

Rather, the BERC will suggest new industries and captive power plant consumers to find alternative sources of energy.

“They can go for renewable energy or use LPG to run industries”, he told reporters.

He also said the BERC will advise the government to offer the new investors in Bangladesh to allow import of their own primary energies like LNG to meet their own demands so that new demands in power or gas will not create further pressure to provide subsidies in the energy sector.