Opposing the government’s move to hike the tariffs of power and water, Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader on Saturday said it will only inflict immense sufferings on people struggling to cope with the increased prices of essentials, reports UNB.
Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, urged the government to review its decision on increasing the prices of the two important utility services.
“Suddenly raising the power and water tariffs means slaying the slain,” he said while addressing a programme of Jatiya Chhatra Samaj, the student wing of Jatiya Party, at a city hotel.
The Jatiya Party chief said the government has raised the tariffs of water and power to reduce subsidies. “But the government gives subsidies considering the welfare of the county’s poor people.”
He said the costs of production, transportation and marketing go up with the rise in power tariff which ultimately pushes up the prices of essential commodities.
GM Quader called upon the government not to raise the prices of power and water. “The government shouldn’t hike the power tariff since the country’s people are now in serious difficulties due to the growing prices of essentials.”
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) on Friday announced to hike the water tariff for both residential and commercial users.
The price of per unit (1,000 litres) of water has been fixed at Tk 14.46 from the existing Tk 11.57, a rise by 24.97 per cent, for residential users while Tk 40 from the current Tk 37.04, up by 9.94 per cent, for commercial consumers.
The new rates will come into effect on 1 April, the notice said.
On Thursday, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced to increase the power tariff on a weighted average by 5.3 per cent at retail and 8.4 per cent at wholesale levels with effective from 1 March.
This is the ninth time Awami League government has increased the power tariffs in a decade.