Private sector power generation
Nizam Ahmad, Director, Liberal Bangla, UK
It is time to let the private sector, foreign or local, to invest in Bangladesh's energy sector to fulfill market demands for gas and electricity. Undeniably, private enterprises would be more efficient, with their expertise and resources, in supplying uninterrupted gas or coal for our power. Gas reserves could be higher, and utilisation more efficient, if private producers were discovering, conserving, and supplying gas to our kitchens, and to fertiliser or power plants.In a free market in energy, prospective private investors in Bangladesh, after signing up with the administration, would be free to negotiate with people on whose land they want to drill or excavate. For a successful outcome, as in any business, there will be negotiations with people in relevant areas for corporate shares, jobs, or a premium price for the use or purchase of their lands. Presently, government owned or authorised operators simply evict people, and often coercively. The inhabitants of the area do not benefit from the wealth underneath their lands, which is unjust, exploitative, and a denial of their economic rights. To meet the energy needs of 150 million people, Bangladesh must boldly chalk out a programme that welcomes private entrepreneurs, the unfailing engines of development, with their right to produce power without government intervention.
|
|
