The Evaluation Committee under the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has suggested the Commission not to hike the price of gas supplied by Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) because the company has been in profit for the last five fiscal years.
On Wednesday during hearing on gas price hike at the BERC Bhaban the Evaluation Committee has submitted its report to the quasi-judicial body.
It, however, suggested gas price hike by 2.49 per cent for the Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company against its proposal for 40 per cent price hike.
The chairman of BERC, A R Khan, and its members were present at the hearing. The BGDCL has pointed in its proposal that it has made a profit of Tk 138.9 crore in the FY 2013-14.
Since the government is going to add a value with the existing price of Tk 25 per thousand cubic feet of gas as commercial value the utility companies had proposed hike in gas prices.
Prof Shamnul Alam, an electricity expert and the advisor of Consumer Association of Bangladesh, who was present at the hearing, said that the proposals of the utility companies were unlawful because there was no reason for raising the price. They did an offence because they did not submit a clear financial statement. So the BERC should reject the proposal where consumers' interest is ignored.