A new gas pricing announcement for the industrial sector is set to be made today, Sunday (April 13). According to reports, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will unveil the new pricing structure through an official press conference in the afternoon.
Currently, industrial consumers are paying a bill of BDT 30 per cubic meter of gas. BERC has stated that those who already have gas connections will continue to receive gas at this existing rate. However, discussions are ongoing about setting the price between BDT 40 and BDT 45 per cubic meter for newly connected industrial enterprises.
Earlier, Petrobangla had proposed keeping the prices unchanged for existing customers (industrial and captive) at BDT 30 and BDT 31.75 respectively, while increasing the price for newly connected and committed (those whose connections have been approved) customers.
The proposal suggested that committed customers pay half of their gas bill at the existing rate and the remaining half at a rate of BDT 75.72 per cubic meter.
For new industrial and captive consumers, the proposal recommended increasing the price directly from BDT 30 and BDT 31.75 to BDT 75.72.
BERC held a public hearing on this proposal on February 26, during which Petrobangla argued that without a price increase, there could be a shortfall of nearly BDT 160 billion per year.
However, representatives from the business community and various industrial organizations strongly opposed the proposal.
The proposal to introduce dual pricing for the same sector faced particularly harsh criticism. Entrepreneurs argued that setting different prices for existing and new consumers within the same industry would create “unfair competition”.
They warned that such a move could discourage new investment, which would negatively impact the overall industrial development and economic growth of the country.
With today’s announcement, there is anxiety among industrial owners about which aspects BERC will prioritize in setting the final rates. Many believe that this decision could become a defining milestone for the future of the industrial sector.
