Businesses decry high licence fees for industrial generators
Leaders of major chambers and business associations have criticised a recent decision of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to take huge amount of licence fees for industrial generators.
Expressing deep concern at the BERC decision, they said payment of licence fees varying from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 25 lakh per generator will "hit industries across the board which have to use their own captive/stand-by generators to meet their energy requirements".
They urged the government to exempt the users of their own captive/stand-by generators from payment of the licence fees.
A public notice of the BERC dated January 10, 2008 said for use of captive/stand-by generators beyond 1MW, the users will have to take licence from the commission with fees varying from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 25 lakh with effect from April 30.
“In the current energy crisis, industries which installed generators at a huge cost and use the same much to the relief of the national electricity network, deserve to be provided with policy and other support instead of being penalised by the requirement of payment of licence fees," the chamber and association leaders said in a joint statement released yesterday.
The statement was signed by Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Annisul Huq, International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Latifur Rahman, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Hossain Khaled, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association Chairman Abdul Hai Sarker, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Fazlul Hoque.
The statement said representations made to the BERC for exemption from payment of such licence fees have been turned down on the ground that the law provides for payment of such licence fee. "Efforts have failed to convince the commission that under section 29 of the Energy Regulatory Commission Act, the commission has been empowered with the authority for giving the exemption. Accordingly, the relevant provision of the regulations should be amended by the commission immediately. The commission has a different view and it takes the cover of procedural requirements for amending the concerned legal provision.
"Legal opinions obtained in this regard indicate that the Act does not require any amendment. In fact, section 29 mentions that amendment to the regulations may be made by the commission itself so as to grant the exemption," the statement said.
"We urgently urge the government to intervene in the issue and if required, amend the Act at the earliest," the chamber and association leaders said in the statement.
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