Demand for consumer affairs ministry

Consumers' Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has suggested that the government establish a separate ministry (like Consumers' Affairs Ministry in India) to address consumers' issues, especially energy and power in proper manner.
It also asked the government to establish a "Price Stabilizing Fund" to avoid fuel price shock or stop BERC's move to increase tariff every year.
"We need such a ministry as we observed that the government doesn't have any control over the market both domestic and international, so the consumers often plunge in shock or live in a condition from where they don't have any path to come out," CAB's Energy Adviser Professor Dr Samsul Alam told the Daily Observer on Tuesday.
He said in the name of incurring losses, every year, the power generation companies or gas distribution companies submit fresh plea to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to enhance price, but there is a huge fund in power and energy sector from which the companies could address the development issues of the power and energy sector.
Gradually the umbrella could be bigger and it (the proposed ministry) could discuss essential foods or commodities from time to
    time, he added.
"Our commerce ministry does not see anything in consumers' eyes, it always discusses issues through importers eyes; so, we need a ministry that could be able to discuss issues empathically," he said.
According to him, there is a Tk 10,000 thousand crore fund in Energy sector which we call "Gas Development Fund" and "Electricity Generation Fund" along with this fund about Tk 70,000 crore fund is available in different power and gas companies.
"The government could take a step to use this fund or establish other funds taking money from the consumers' to address pricing issues in future and avoid increasing prices by creating a new mechanism in this regard," Professor Alam said.
The Gas Development and Electricity Generation Fund was created by the BERC in 2009.
"Bangladesh is now passing through a period where the dependency on imported fuel and electricity is increasing, so our market will be a volatile one. To reduce loss and stop unwarranted price shock we need to establish it as soon as possible," CAB leader Alam said.