The new gas price for the industrial sector will be announced today. On Sunday (April 13), the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will issue an order on Petrobangla’s application for higher gas prices for new industrial customers.

The new prices will be announced through a press briefing at the BERC office in the capital’s Karwan Bazar at 3 pm on Sunday (April 13).

According to BERC, industrial customers are currently paying a gas bill of Tk 30 per cubic meter. All the industries that are currently operating will get gas at this rate. And the bill for new connections may be Tk 40 to 45.

Petrobangla had proposed to increase the prices for new and promised customers while keeping the prices of existing customers (gas prices for industrial and captive customers are Tk 30 and 31.75 respectively) unchanged. It was proposed to increase the prices for promised customers (already approved) by half at the existing rate and half at Tk 75.72. On the other hand, the price of gas in new industries and captives has been increased from Tk 30 and Tk 31.75 to Tk 75.72 respectively.

BERC held a hearing on Petrobangla’s price hike proposal on February 26. Petrobangla said in its proposal that if the price is not increased, there will be a deficit of about Tk 16,000 crore per year. Petrobangla’s proposal was met with a storm of criticism. Businessmen and leaders of business organizations also raised strong objections in the hearing. Everyone opposed the two types of prices in industry in particular.

Many people objected to the two types of prices in industry in the hearing. They said that if gas prices for existing industries are kept unchanged and additional prices are set for new industries, it will create unequal competition.