BERC bill 2023 placed in JS

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City Desk :

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Bill-2023 was placed in the parliament paving the way for the government to adjust the prices of gas and electricity without public hearing.
The bill, placed by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday and was later sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources for further scrutiny and submitting a report within five days.
Placing the bill, the state minister said the proposed law will be enacted through amending the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act-2003, reports BSS.
Earlier, President Md Abdul Hamid promulgated the ordinance on December 1 amending the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act-2003, as the parliament was not in session at that time.
The Law Ministry issued a gazette on the same day announcing the amendment that allowed the government to adjust the prices of gas and electricity.
Previously, the ministry of power, energy, and mineral resources used to adjust the prices of fuel, including diesel, octane, kerosene and petrol, without any public hearings, whereas BERC adjusted the prices of gas and electricity after public hearings.
The BERC is an autonomous body established based on the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act-2003, aiming at improving power and energy infrastructure in Bangladesh. The law has previously been amended for three times.
With the amendment of the 2003 act, the ministry will not require to hold a hearing to decide new prices for gas and electricity.
On November 28, the cabinet approved an amendment to the BERC Act 2003 to empower the government to set fuel tariffs on its own under special circumstances without waiting for the commission’s public hearing and decision.