State minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid told Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday that Tk 31,833 crore was paid as subsidy in the current financial year to meet the electricity expenses.
In the same fiscal year, the government paid Tk 5,500 crore subsidy for liquefied natural gas, he said, responding to a question from ruling Awami League lawmaker AFM Bahauddin Nasim in the question-answer session.
In response to Nasim鈥檚 question, Nasrul Hamid said that for the import of liquefied natural gas Tk 2,500 crore subsidy was given in the 2018鈥�19 financial year, Tk 3,500 crore subsidy in the 2019鈥�20 financial year,聽 Tk 2,400 in 2020鈥�21 financial year, Tk 6,000 crore in 2021鈥�22 financial year, Tk 6,315 crore in 2022鈥�23 financial year, and Tk 5,500 crore subsidy was given in 2023鈥�24 financial year.
He said that Tk 6,500 crore in subsidies would be required in the 2023鈥�24 financial year for the LNG import.
He further said that from 1999鈥�2000 to 2013鈥�14 financial years, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation steadily faced losses, compelling the government to give a substantial amount of subsidy.
The government, however, did not pay any subsidies on fuel oil from November 2014 to FY23 as its prices fell in the international market, the state minister mentioned.
However, he added that in the 2021鈥�22 financial year, the BPC incurred Tk 2,705 crore in losses as fuel oil prices increased in the international market in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Stating that currently the government determined the price of fuel oil in the dynamic pricing formula, Nasrul Hamid said that it led to an end of subsidy payment for the commodity as its prices were adjusted in line with the international market.
He said that in the current FY24, the Power Division got Tk 31,833 crore as subsidy against its demand of Tk 35,000 crore for the electricity sector.
In response to questions from AL lawmaker Morshed Alam, the state minister said that the number of approved liquefied petroleum gas plants is 78. Of these, 52 received initial approval, 24 received final approval, and contracts were signed with the BPC for two.
Responding to another question, Nasrul Hamid said that sometimes 鈥榞host鈥� bills could happen due to technical and non-technical reasons.
He said that various steps had been taken to ensure appropriate electricity billing.
Two electricity distribution companies and four companies under the power department were currently engaged in supplying electricity across the country, he said.
He said that the total number of customers of the six electricity distribution companies was 4.71 crore.
He said that various initiatives, including installing pre-paid or smart pre-paid meters, had been undertaken on priority basis to prevent ghostly or unusual bills.
