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Report |
| The government is going to increase the price of compressed natural gas (CNG). The decision is likely to come into effect later this month. At present, per meter cube gas is sold at Tk 8.50. The plan is to take it at Tk 15. Also, the government has a plan to raise the price of feed gas from Tk 2.47 to Tk 5.0 or Tk 6.0. Although the consumers are opposed to any bid to raise the price of CNG, the policymakers and experts have their logic. “If you consider the fuel cost of cars run by octane and petrol, the saving for CNG-run vehicles is 90 percent while compared to diesel it’s 60 percent,” said a senior official at the Energy Division. Only people in Iran and Egypt, both having huge oil and gas reserves, enjoy such facility, he said. According to latest information, the CNG price in Iran is the lowest in the world, which is Tk 1.30 per meter cube. The price in Egypt is Tk 8.0. The price of CNG in Bangladesh is the third lowest in the world. Asian NGV magazine (October 2007), showed that the price of per meter cube gas in India is Tk 39, China Tk 26, Pakistan Tk 46, Malaysia Tk 34 and Thailand Tk 51. At present, the total number of CNG-run vehicles in Bangladesh is 130,000. According to the Petrobangla, about 47 million meter cube CNG is sold every month. The yearly sale is about 564 million meter cube. The total sale is expected to be 954 million meter cube within 2010. By using CNG the country is saving about Tk 4,600 crore per annum. “In fact, we got discovered gas in the past almost free of cost. But nowadays the cost is increasing with the rise of production cost. That’s the reason, the price of CNG and piped gas should be realistic,” said an energy economist. Replying to a query, Energy Secretary M Mohsin ruled out that people will lose interest in converting the vehicles if the price of CNG is increased. |
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