Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Saturday said that considering the existing global energy crisis and the country’s internal reality, the incumbent government has kept 65 per cent of the country’s marginalised people out of the purview of the routine decision taken by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to increase electricity prices.
“About 65 percent of the country’s general and low-income electricity users, who were under the BERC price hike decision, have been completely exempted from the additional pressure of this price hike,” he said.
The information minister made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room at the Secretariat here this morning.
He said the BERC adjusted the electricity price as per its routine work based on a specific criterion.
“However, the government was determined to protect the marginalised people. As a result, even though this decision puts pressure on wealthy customers, 65 per cent of the low-income general people will remain exempted from this price hike,” he said.
In the briefing, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman read out a written statement on the activities of the Ministry of Power and Energy.
The information minister and the adviser highlighted the context of the electricity and fuel price hike.
Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, Deputy Principal Information Officer, was also present.
In the briefing, Swapon said in the current global context, all countries having import-dependent energy systems, including Bangladesh, are going through a major crisis.
“We are compensating for wrong policy and import dependency in the energy sector. If we had the right policy for the extraction of our energy resources discovered and identified underground in the past 20 years, we would not have had to be such an import-dependent country today,” he said.
He mentioned that the global crisis has hit us hard and constrained us because of the mistakes of the previous policy.
“Now, as an importing country, we must set our prices according to the global standards and obligations of the international market,” he added.
Referring to the fallen Awami League government, the information minister stated, “the terrible cycle of corruption and looting that has been created in the power and energy sectors for over the past 15 years has happened right in front of all.”
“It will take some time to bring the entire sector out of this deep cycle of offence and corruption and return it to a healthy trend. However, the spirit or determination of the current government is obvious,” he said again.
Swapon continued, “the government has taken a long-term plan to achieve self-sufficiency in energy and keep the price at an affordable level, while the ongoing immediate problems also have to be considered with utmost importance.”
Mentioning that the burden of black money crimes has to be borne, he said that the government still has to pay a giant subsidy of Taka 41,000 crore in the power sector.
He expressed the government’s determination to develop a normal and regular process of information exchange between the government, media and the public in the interest of the people.
“The government wants to inform the people, the people also want to know, and a healthy media will serve both as a connector. We want to enter this normal process of information flow, where we will regularly sit with you and take advice on any time-sensitive matter,” Swapon said further.
He added, “The media will constantly convey accountability for every action of the incumbent government to the people.”
