Fuel price hike not now

Some of the council of ministers yesterday rejected for now a government proposal for increasing fuel price by Tk 10 per litre in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
At an informal discussion after the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser to the premier, said they were going to increase the fuel price as per the guidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The cabinet ministers immediately rejected his proposal detailing the grounds for their stand against it.
The IMF has asked the government to increase prices of petroleum products by Tk 10 per litre by this month as part of its condition to release $140 million, the second instalment of its $1 billion credit.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak were among a few others who had rejected the energy adviser's proposal.
Sources said the communications minister argued that his ministry would be the first to get affected from the price hike. The regular traveller would react to the price hike and damage BRTC buses, the minister said.
He suggested the energy adviser sit with all stakeholders before taking any crucial decision concerning the fuel price hike.
The agriculture minister pointed out that the Boro cultivation season is nearing, and hiking the fuel price would badly affect the farmers, sources added.
Talking to The Daily Star, Matia Chowdhury said, "Yes, I have opposed the proposal of fuel price increase.
“As the country does not produce fuel, and we have to import it from abroad, the donors put pressure on us.”
The premier, who was present during the discussion, suggested more talks before they reach an acceptable solution on the matter, highly placed sources in the cabinet said.
As per her instructions, the ministers concerned and the adviser will hold a coordination meeting at the Secretariat today.
Sources said the government agreed in principle to increase the fuel price, and was all set to announce the oil price hike on December 10 night.
But the announcement could not be made as the communications minister intervened saying the issue requires further discussion before reaching a decision.
Sources added if the ministers concerned could reach a consensus about how much the government should increase the fuel price, then it would be implemented shortly.
The cabinet yesterday approved the draft speech of President Zillur Rahman to be given on the first day of the New Year's new session of parliament, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the meeting.