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Production in Chattogram Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) has remained suspended since Friday last due to an acute crisis of gas.
Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited stopped supplying gas to CUFL on Friday, suspending the production at the fertiliser factory, said sources.
Earlier, on March 27, the state-owned CUFL also suspended its production due to the gas crisis. Later, it resumed activities on April 5 after the gas supply was ensured.
It may be mentioned that the production at the CUFL is generally suspended like other state-owned fertiliser factories during summer when the authorities divert the natural gas supply to priority power generation plants in a bid to maintain electricity supply across the country.
According to CUFL sources, in the last five years, the factory could not operate more than three-four months each year due to the shortage of gas.
The CUFL has been losing Tk 500 million every month on an average following frequent shutdown of the factory due to gas shortage. According to CUFL sources, the organisation is able to make a profit of Tk 10 million daily if the production continues regularly.
Besides, the organisation has to pay nearly Tk 100 million every month against the salaries and other expenses. At present, the total monthly loss of the CUFL stands at Tk 500 million.
Set up in 1987 at a cost of Tk 17 billion, CUFL ended its guaranteed 20-year life in 2007. Besides, the organisation had to face losses every year due to non-supply of natural gas.
The total demand of gas in the CUFL is 51 million CFT daily. But it is not getting the required amount of gas to continue its production activities. As a result, the organisation has been failing to achieve the target for the last few years.