Raising power price another heavy blow to struggling masses

Editorial Desk :
It was all in people’s expectation that power prices would be hiked soon, and it was finally done yesterday through an executive order. The government increased the average retail electricity price by 5 per cent and the demand charge for electricity for almost all types of consumers by up to 42 per cent.
Soon after raising the bulk price of electricity by 19.92 per cent a few days ago at this crisis time when people are struggling to make ends meet, the cabinet approved a draft amendment to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act enabling the government to adjust energy prices through executive order bypassing the commission.
It was a clear indication that the government did not have time to go through the process for fixing reasonable tariffs of power, gas and fuel oil protecting the consumer’s interest through the regulatory commission that was established in 2003. However, the existence of the commission was of not much help either. From 2009 when this government came to power a total of 11 times power price was hiked at the retail level. Power price hike at the retail level means it will quickly impact the commodity prices also.
When the fuel oil price was hiked by a record margin of more than 50 per cent reportedly by an executive order also, the market went through a huge turmoil with shooting up of price of almost every consumable item. Soon after coming to power the government allowed rental and quick rental power plants with huge capacity charges all the while beating the drums that it was going to cover the whole of the country in terms of power supply. But its vaunted pride was punctured as it, before the winter, went for unprecedented load-shedding with the prime minister’s energy adviser once alerting people that they might have to go through daylight electricity altogether.
Bangladesh is now in the middle of the winter season, and people are facing a little load-shedding now. Once the winter is over, the reality will be, they will pay more for electricity but will not get it due to the crisis in fuel oil import as a result of poor reserves condition. With the latest hike, the retail electricity price has gone up by 108 per cent since 2009, when the incumbent AL-led government assumed power. This increase is possible only by a government that does not need people’s mandate to remain in power.