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a year ago

Power price increased by 5.0 per cent at consumer level

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The government has increased the price of electricity by 5.0 per cent at the consumer level through an administrative order.

The increased amount of price will be added to the bill from March. A notification was issued in this regard on Tuesday night.

With the latest hike, the power tariff was increased for the third time in a row in two months, reports UNB.

According to the new order, the retail tariff was raised at different levels of consumers. The tariff was raised for lower-level consumers by an average 5.0 per cent to Tk 4.35 from Tk 4.14 (each kilowatt hour) per unit. The bulk tariff was not raised this time.

Earlier on January 13, the government raised the electricity tariff by 5 per cent at the retail level with effect from January 1 and on January 12 raised again by 5 per cent with effect from February 1.

On November 21, the bulk power tariff was hiked by 20 per cent to Tk 6.20 per kilowatt hour by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) with effect from December 1.

The government recently amended the BERC Act empowering the Power Division to raise power, gas and petroleum fuel by administrative power anytime it wants.

Applying that amended Act, the new gazette notification was issued to raise the electricity tariff at bulk and retail levels, bypassing the authorities of the energy regulator.

Meanwhile, energy experts believe the tariff enhancement decision came in compliance with the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that recently approved $4.5 billion loan to Bangladesh.

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