According to a report published in this daily, the Energy Division of the government has instructed all six gas distribution companies to go tough on the large bill defaulters in an effort to realise the overdue bills. This is something that should have been nipped in the bud when the bills were of small amounts. Now that it has become a big number, there is no other option for the gas distribution companies but to go strong about this.
There are facts and figures going around saying that various government bodies and private organisations owe around Tk 10,000 crore to the gas distribution companies – about 2,200 crore to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd alone. This sounds preposterous to say the least.
We hope that the authorities
concerned will take sufficient
and well executed actions against these
people who are in a sense robbing the
nation’s resources and holding it hostage
Since the country is facing a gas crisis, Petrobangla imports a lot of LNG from abroad. And most electricity production companies take this gas to produce electricity, but since there is such a big money deficiency in this chain, it is likely to be hit hard. If Petrobangla doesn’t get the bills then it cannot import LNG and if there is no LNG then there cannot be sufficient electricity. As a result, we might see a breakdown of the entire capital chain.
On the other hand, private industrial entrepreneurs are delaying to pay their outstanding gas bills due to various reasons. These people are supposed to pay the bills in installments. But since most of the people are connected well with power blocks, they get the leeway to act this way.
We hope that the authorities concerned will take sufficient and well executed actions against these people who are in a sense robbing the nation’s resources and holding it hostage.