Staff Correspondent
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said it is unlikely that Awami League would be able to fulfill its election pledge to raise electricty generation by 1,000 megawatts (MW) in the country by the next three years.
“The target of raising the generation of power in three years may or may not be achieved,” Muhith said in response to questions raised by the editors of leading dailies and news agencies about the nagging power crisis at a pre-budget meeting at finance ministry. He expressed doubt that power generation could be increased to 5,000 MW within the next three years as promised by Awami League before the election.
AL, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the power generation from the present 4000 MW to 7,000 MW during the government’s five-year tenure. Muhith said power is very important for all development activities. He said Siddhirganj Power Plant would be commissioned soon and a substantial supply of power would be available from it.
Regarding Phulbari coal mine, he said a decision in this regard would taken soon after consultations with the people of the area to improve its energy situation. Muhith also praised some good initiatives taken by the caretaker government to increase power generation. Some electricity has been added to the national grid from rental power plants.
The finance minister also said, “The next budget would be big as we will have to give incentives to different sectors to tackle the world economic recession.” Budgetary allocation in social safety nets, power and the agriculture sector would increase, he said. During the discussion on the budget, editors urged the finance minister to lay emphasis on the power sector and employment generation sectors. Stressing on proper implementation of the budget, the editors said care is taken in collecting revenue but not on it’s spending.
Editor of the Financial Express Moazzem Hossain, The Independent editor Mahbubul Alam, News Today editor Reazuddin Ahmed, The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, Channel i Managing editor Faridur Reza Sagar, bdnews24.com editor Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Sangbad editor Altamash Kabir and Manabjamin editor Motiur Rahman Chowdhury took part in the discussion.
Prime Minister’s finance and planning advisor Dr Mashiur Rahman, Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, Jugantor editor Salma Islam, The Bangladesh Today editor Mahmudur Rahman Chowdhury, Finance Secretary Mohammad Tareque, NBR chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed and Economic Relations Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain were also present.
Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Link : http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=83561
Date: 10 April 2009
Showing posts with label open-pit mine etc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label open-pit mine etc.. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, July 14, 2008
Govt stresses coal as a fuel for electricity generation
R Akter
The government plans to stop using natural gas for electricity generation after 2011, as it faces shortages of fossil fuel..
At present 85 percent of electricity is produced by natural gas. Because of the gas shortage, Tamim suggested use of coal as a fuel for electricity generation.
Bangladesh has five coal fields with more than 2.55 billion tonnes of reserves, officials said. "To meet the 300 times more demand for electricity we will require to invest up to $10 billion over the next 20 years," Tamim said. He said entrepreneurs from Bangladesh will be allowed to invest 51 percent in state-run plants to modernise them, which will help to raise power generation by at least 2,000 MW.
The reserves of natural gas are depleting fast and the country is now facing up to 150 million cubic feet (mmcfd) of gas shortages every day," said Jalal Ahmed, chairman of Petrobangla, government oil and gas agency.
Only 30 percent of Bangladesh's more than 140 million people have access to electricity, he said.
"The present per capita electricity consumption is 117 KWH (kilo-watts hour), nearly 6 percent of the world average," he said. Because of old plants, Bangladesh on average can produce only 3,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, against an installed capacity of 5,200 MW, officials said.
"Over the next 20 years as we plan to become a middle income country by raising our economic growth to at least 10 percent from 6 percent now, the country will have to produce about 13,000 MW," Tamim told a meeting attended by senior officials, business leaders, representatives of development partners and energy experts.
Natural gas is the prime feedstock for producing fertiliser, vital to raise grain production to ensure food security in the country. Also government plans to open its power sector to private investment to help it out of a long-running and deepening crisis, official said.
"A policy is being finalised to give private sector full support, which will enable them to invest even in the state-run power plants and make then more productive," said M. Tamim, special assistant to the chief of Bangladesh's caretaker government, responsible for power, energy and mineral resources.
Bangladesh has five coal fields with more than 2.55 billion tonnes of reserves, officials said. "To meet the 300 times more demand for electricity we will require to invest up to $10 billion over the next 20 years," Tamim said. He said entrepreneurs from Bangladesh will be allowed to invest 51 percent in state-run plants to modernise them, which will help to raise power generation by at least 2,000 MW.
The reserves of natural gas are depleting fast and the country is now facing up to 150 million cubic feet (mmcfd) of gas shortages every day," said Jalal Ahmed, chairman of Petrobangla, government oil and gas agency.
Only 30 percent of Bangladesh's more than 140 million people have access to electricity, he said.
"The present per capita electricity consumption is 117 KWH (kilo-watts hour), nearly 6 percent of the world average," he said. Because of old plants, Bangladesh on average can produce only 3,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, against an installed capacity of 5,200 MW, officials said.
"Over the next 20 years as we plan to become a middle income country by raising our economic growth to at least 10 percent from 6 percent now, the country will have to produce about 13,000 MW," Tamim told a meeting attended by senior officials, business leaders, representatives of development partners and energy experts.
Natural gas is the prime feedstock for producing fertiliser, vital to raise grain production to ensure food security in the country. Also government plans to open its power sector to private investment to help it out of a long-running and deepening crisis, official said.
"A policy is being finalised to give private sector full support, which will enable them to invest even in the state-run power plants and make then more productive," said M. Tamim, special assistant to the chief of Bangladesh's caretaker government, responsible for power, energy and mineral resources.
Weekly Economic Times
13/07/08
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Law ministry suggests change in mineral rules
R Akter
The law ministry has pointed out that some sections of the draft coal policy would contradict the existing Mines and Mineral Rules 1968 and suggested amendment of the rules before approving the policy.A representative of the law ministry made the observation at an inter-ministry meeting on the draft coal policy, chaired by energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin at the Energy Division on Thursday, said sources present at the meeting.Earlier energy division sent the draft coal policy to eight relevant ministries for opinions on the finalisation of the draft. The division, which completed finalising the draft policy on its part, sent the draft to eight ministries, including finance, environment and forest, agriculture, land, law and the National Board of Revenue on Sunday, sources in the division said.The ministries have been asked to submit their opinions on June 24 before the division convenes an inter-ministerial meeting on June 26 to discuss the comments given by the ministries, they said. Sources in the division claimed the division had not made any 'major changes' in the draft policy, submitted earlier by the advisory committee, headed by former BUET vice-chancellor Abdul Matin Patwari.The division dropped a provision off the draft, finalised by the Patwari committee, which said the reclaimed land would need to be handed over to the owner in the original form after completing coal mining.Sources in the division claimed the existing laws did not support the provision of giving back the land to the owner after the government acquired the land. 'Besides, it will create complexities and scope of corruption as after 10 to 20 years of mining, many "so-called" owners will claim the land,' observed a source.One of the members on the Patwari committee, however, told the land could be handed over to the owner if the government had the sincerity. 'Thousands of poor land owners will need to be relocated for mining. The people should have the right to get back the land. If the government owns the land, it will create scope for corruption,' he said.Citing the example of land acquisition for the Jamuna Bridge, he said the land was handed over by the government to an influential businessman. 'The people have not got back their land in the Jamuna Bridge area. Now what we see there is a resort for rich people,' he said.The division changed the name of the proposed company, Coal Bangla, to Khani Bangla so that other mines such as rock mine could be brought under the authority of the company.The details of the mining method could not be immediately known. Sources in the division could not confirm whether any change was made in the recommendations submitted by the Patwari committee regarding open-pit mining.The Patwari committee recommended operating an open-pit mine first to observe the viability of the method in Bangladesh before adopting the method for other mines. The division, however, did not make any change regarding the bar on coal export, royalty rate and coal sector development committee.
Weekly Economic Times
Date: 29/06/08
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
