Bill passed in JS empowering govt to regulate energy prices

Staff Reporter :
The ‘Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Act, 2023’ bill was passed in Parliament empowering the government to adjust the prices of gas, fuel oils and electricity without public hearing.
The law has been amended to preserve the power of the government to adjust the tariff at the earliest as the current process of tariff adjustment (price increase) of electricity and gas through public hearings by the Tariff Commission takes more time.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid proposed to pass the bill in Parliament on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Lawmaker Mokabbir Khan of Gonoforum staged a walkout from the Parliament in protest against the passage of the bill citing it as ‘anti-people interest.’
 “This bill is being passed against the public interest to protect the profiteers of the corrupt in the power sector and increase the price of electricity again. Thieves never listen the story of religion. Bangabandhu often used to say that. Amnesty was once granted to protect the killers of Bangabandhu. Today the bill with indemnity has been introduced to protect the corrupt profiteers. As a result, the price of electricity, gas and fuel will increase further,” he said.
He also withdrew his amendments before staging the walkout.
However, some members of the parliament (MP) opposed the amendment of the law during the public opinion verification session.
The MPs said that the law has been amended to bypass the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to keep the government in control of energy prices. Opposition MPs also spoke about corruption in the power and energy sector. Finally the Bill was passed through voice votes with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Earlier on January 22, he placed the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Bill-2023 in the parliament paving the way for the government to adjust the prices of gas and electricity without public hearing.
With the amendment to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act 2003, the power ministry will be able to decide the new tariffs for gas, fuel oils and electricity without any hearing.
Previously, it could revise the prices of fuel oil including diesel, octane, kerosene and petrol without any hearing.
Earlier on January 5, Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the “Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (amendment) Ordinance, 2022” in the parliament.
The cabinet on November 28 last year approved the BERC Ordinance 2022 to empower the government to set fuel tariffs on its own under special circumstances without waiting for the commission’s public hearing and decision.
BERC is an autonomous body that was established based on the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Act 2003 with the view to improving the power and energy infrastructure in the country. The law was amended thrice in the past.