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Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has arranged a public hearing on the proposed gas-tariff hike for new industries and extended units of existing industries on February 26.
It requested the interested persons and institutions to enlist their names with the commission by February 20 to take part in the hearing.
State-run Petrobangla and its subsidiaries - gas marketing and distribution companies - have already submitted their proposals separately to the BERC, seeking gas tariff hike.
A BERC technical evaluation committee also placed its recommendation based on the proposals.
As per proposals of the state-run gas entities, new industries and extended units of existing industries will have to pay 152.40 per cent higher rates at Tk 75.72 per cubic metre from existing Tk 30 per cm.
The proposed rate was based on import cost of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over the past several months.
Owners of all new industries and captive power plants must pay natural gas tariff at Tk 75.72 per cm for getting new piped gas connections, as per the proposal.
For the new captive power plants, the new tariff is proposed to be 141.96 per cent higher than existing tariff of Tk 31.50 per cm.
New industries and captive plants, which have already obtained commitments or demand notes from companies for raising gas loads, must pay 50 per cent, or half of the new gas commitments, at current rates.
On the other hand, the rest would be paid in accordance with the proposed rate at Tk 75.72 per cm, according to the proposals.
Besides, the owners of existing industries and plants must pay tariff at Tk 75.72 per cm for utilising additional gas above their existing approved loads.
To calculate import prices for fixing tariffs, state-run gas marketing and distribution companies will calculate three months' average prices of overall LNG import costs from long-term LNG suppliers and spot LNG suppliers.
Currently, all industries - large, medium, small, and cottage alike - are paying gas tariff at Tk 30 per cm, while the price of gas supplied to captive plants is Tk 31.50 per cm.