Dhaka – State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on Thursday told Parliament that the government is actively considering reducing fuel prices.
“The matter of re-fixation of fuel prices is under active consideration of the government following the sharp fall in its prices on the international market,” he said replying to a starred question from Awami League MP Mahjabeen Khaled (Women Seat-18).
The junior minister came up with the disclosure just a week after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on February 17 in the House ruled out the possibility of reducing diesel price right now.
In reply to another starred question from independent MP Rustum Ali Faraji, the state minister reiterated that the issue of reviewing fuel prices for keeping consistency with the international market is under active consideration of the government.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) started making profit in November 2014 and made margin of total Tk 11,078.75 crore till January 2016 amid the downtrend in fuel prices on the international market.
Of the profit, Tk 7108.63 crore was repaid against different debts, while Tk 496.63 crore is going to be paid to Petrobangla. The rest of the money is there in BPC’s bank account, he said.
After repaying the debts, the BPC still has loan of Tk 26,349.81 crore taken from the government, Nasrul said.
The junior minister said if the government reviews fuel prices, it would change the prices of all sorts of fuel — kerosene, diesel, furnace oil and octane– as all are inter-related.
A process is underway to prepare a policy for the re-fixation of fuel prices in the country, he told the House.- News Desk
