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Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Amir Hossain Khan thinks any unilateral governmental move like shutting down shopping malls, departmental and grocery shops from 6:00pm to 10:00pm to resolve electricity crisis will not bring much result, as this kind of initiative as part of load management will have heavy impact on the sector. That is why, he said, previous governments had postponed this kind of initiatives at the eleventh hour. He said the government, to face the coming summer, should take measures on how the electricity consumption in the shopping malls can be reduced. If the government goes for such pragmatic measures, the association leader assured that the government will get active cooperation from two million members of the organization.
He made the assurance in an interview with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain. Following are the excerpts:
EP: You must be aware of country’s electricity crisis even in the winter which may turn into pandemic in the summer ahead. The caretaker government has taken initiatives to get out of this crisis through load management; keeping shopping malls closed during peak hours could be a part of it. What do you think?
Amir Hossain: Look, we are yet to know the matter formally whether the government is going to take this kind of step. We are ready to extend all sorts of cooperation if any step of load management is taken to reduce the electricity crisis. But any initiative of load management through shutting down shopping malls during peak hours will not be accepted. Both the two previous governments had to postpone such initiative at the final stage.
We have repeatedly been telling the governments that initiatives will have to be taken on how the electricity consumption by shopping malls during peak hours can be reduced. We have provided account on last summer that reduction of electricity usage up to 30 percent at shopping malls is possible through motivation.
EP: But, in many parts of the world shops get closed in the evening. What is the problem with this here? If all shops remain closed in the evening, customers will be compelled to purchase commodities during daytime. What is your opinion?
Amir Hossain: I think our shopping culture is different than that of other countries. People here are used to go shopping in the evening after working hours. Shop owners will be affected heavily if shops are kept closed at that time. I think, shutting down the shopping malls will not be a realistic decision on the ground of shortage of electricity supply.
For the last few years, we are advocating an alternative proposal to face the load staggering keeping shops in certain areas closed for two days in the peak hours by rotation dividing the city into several zones. This system will not have negative impact on business, but electricity saving at peak hours will also be possible.
EP: Electricity demand can be reduced by 80 percent by using energy saving bulbs -- CFL. We witnessed campaign for CFL in last several years, but use of CFL didn’t get popularity. Why don’t your association is taking initiatives to increase its usage?
Amir Hossain: It’s not true that use of CFL is not increasing. It’s getting popularity gradually. But, still the price of CFL is high. Some local companies are producing the CFLs apart from import. We had applied through FBCCI that CFLs and its raw materials should be made 100 percent duty-free. But, it is yet to be considered. If our demand is met, and use of CFL is made mandatory, Shop Owners’ Association will extend all-out cooperation for making it effective.
EP: How will your association respond if the government still decides to keep shutters of shops down in the peak hours?
Amir Hossain: Government can decide, if it intends to do it. But it will not be complied with. If necessary, we will keep our shops open through kerosene lamps. Shutting down of shops will not address the problem; the government will have to understand this. We hope the government will not go for such an action. We, of course, will meet the adviser concerned and request him to avoid such steps.
EP: We have been hearing about load management ahead of summer for last 10 years. But, it is yet to be implemented. What should be done for a real and effective load management system?
Amir Hossain: I think not only the shopping malls, but also the entire electricity-consuming sector should be brought under the load management system through motivation. People will have to be provided a routine on when and where electricity will not be supplied in a day. If the routine is not maintained strictly, then load management goal will no way be possible.
On the other hand, industrial areas can be brought under load staggering and directed on suspension of electricity on a particular day of the week. Readymade garment factories will not need DESA or DESCO electricity during peak hours if they are properly provided by gas supply, as most of them have their own standby power generators.
At the same time, the government establishments will have to be included in this system. Industrial units should provided with loan at lower interest for power generator set-up, if needed.
Above all, load management system will bring no result without acquiring consumers’ confidence. Rather, it will add to their resentment.
EP: Businessmen are often blamed that they use more electricity than announced load. It causes frequent electricity disruptions. It also creates inconveniences for the distribution companies.
Amir Hossain: I’ll not deny that there are knots between the dishonest employees of electricity supplier organizations and some businessmen, but blaming solely businessmen will not be just. To avoid various difficulties of load allocation, businessmen are compelled to be preys of those dishonest employees. Otherwise, they will not get connection years after years. But there is no doubt that used load differs with declared load.
EP: In your opinion, what are the reasons for current electricity crisis?
Amir Hossain: Country’s power generation system is old. Moreover, electricity generation capacity is lessened due to poor maintenance. According to government statistics, the installed capacity is 5,300 MW, but the firmed capacity is not over 3,000 MW. Furthermore, there are problems in supply and distribution systems. The country spends huge amount of money every year, but in reality it doesn’t work.
Apart from this, there are political elements. Every government should comply with one truth that no real development is possible without electricity. Not only industrialization, electricity demand also increases with the development of human index. Uninterrupted power supply must be top priority for real development in agriculture. Last government has claimed that it had worked energetically for all kind of development. But during last five years, increase in electricity production was only 350 MW, of which only 125 MW currently remains in generation. But according to government statistics, it needed to increase the electricity generation by 500-600 MW per year to meet the increased demand.
EP: Why the last government could not increase the electricity generation?
Amir Hossain: I don’t think that the last government had any priority list; but it should have taken the matter of increasing electricity generation on top priority. The last government put less priority on the sector appointing only one state minister, resulting in no effect. Another thing also mattered -- the “power center” wanted to set such persons in the sector who would be honest in money sharing. True investors were afraid of investing in the sector.
EP: But the immediate past government claimed huge investment was needed for power generation. As the government could not afford the investment new power plants could not be set up.
Amir Hossain: This is not a logic. If the government did not have money, private sector had have it. Not only private sector, but also foreign bodies were keen to invest in the sector. Scope for foreign investment could not be created transparently, so it did not come.
EP: The caretaker government has decided to implement transparent projects in the energy sector. The PDB signed a deal for Siddhirganj 240 MW peaking plant. Do you think that the government should sign more deals to increase power generation?
Amir Hossain: I think that the present government is out of political influence. So, the government should sign deals swiftly for energy sector projects, especially for increasing in power generation.
EP: Country’s electricity sector is still incurring losses. Especially the PDB is almost bankrupt as it buys electricity at higher rate and sales at lower rate. So electricity price should be market oriented… the price should be commercial-bases. What do you think?
Amir Hossain: We are paying high for electricity. It seems that the government bodies are incurring losses due to their management crisis. After addressing the management crisis, if it is needed to hike electricity price, I’ll support that.
But subsidy in agricultural sector for using electricity should continue. |