Staff Correspondent:

The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Tuesday expressed concern over the revised energy tariff for new industrial units.

The organisation issued a statement stating that the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) introduced a revised gas tariff structure distinguishing new, committed, and existing customers within the same industry category.

It said the FICCI fully supports the government’s objective of ensuring a sustainable and reliable energy supply, the newly announced tariff mechanism risks creating unintended barriers for new and expanding industries.

Under the current proposal, businesses with new Gas Sales Agreements (GSAs), increased demand, or recent connections will face significantly higher tariffs compared to existing customers, even within the same industrial classification.

President of FICCI Zaved Akhtar said a transparent and equitable energy pricing framework is fundamental to sustaining investor confidence and industrial growth.

“While we understand the evolving demands of energy management, we urge BERC to revisit this approach and ensure that policy changes align with the broader goals of economic development and FDI attraction,” he said.

The FICCI president further said the provision to treat any new Gas Sales Agreement as a new connection, even for long-standing industrial users — introduces ambiguity and could lead to arbitrary reclassification.

“This could inadvertently disrupt existing business continuity and create administrative and operational uncertainty. New Gas Sales Agreement with existing customers should not be falling under the tariff for new connections,” he pointed out.