Electricity Retail Prices in Bangladesh Increase by 5% Despite BERC's Public Hearing

Electricity retail prices have increased by 5% despite BERC's public hearing after the Bangladesh cabinet last month amended the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act 2003 to include a provision allowing the government to adjust the prices of gas, electricity, and fuel in special circumstances. Yesterday, a gazette notification was published.

Historically, these choices have been made public 90 days after BERC performs public hearings on changing gas and electricity pricing.

The technical evaluation committee of BERC had suggested increasing the retail price of electricity by 15% during a hearing on January 8. After the hearing, BERC was required to announce the revised pricing within 60 business days.

According to Bangla media reports, Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy, and mineral resources, and BERC chairman Abdul Jalil had pledged that the retail price of electricity would not increase when it was increased by 19.92% at the producers' end in December of last year.

But soon after, the six distributors began submitting their requests for an identical percentage increase in the price of electricity.