Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bangladesh’s apex trade body has urged the government to review its decision of 12 hours power cut to industries fearing it would have a negative impact on investment and employment generation.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has called upon the government not to harm the industrial units only to solve the power crunch in the country but to solve it by discussing the issue with all the parties to ensure equitable power supply.
Power Development Board (PDB) sent a request letter to industries on 22 March, asking them to keep their operations suspended from 6:00pm to 6:00am so that more electricity could be diverted for irrigation. The PDB then said the situation would last for the next one and a half months.
The FBCCI said at present the gas and power supply to various industries set up across the country is not sufficient hampering production. Moreover the decision to snap power supply at night will seriously affect the overall production system of these factories, the apex trade body said in a statement.
The statement also said the industries hardly get uninterrupted power supply due to frequent load-shedding at day-time. But the industries have capacity to produce in three shifts and employ people accordingly. If there is no power supply the industrial units will lose production and be harmed financially making the workers without works.
Also the industries will lose capacity to repay their industrial loans putting the financial institutions into risk. At this point the apex chamber body urged to cancel the decision to discontinue power supply to industries at night.
The statement said the country has been facing serious challenge in the international markets due to rising production cost and the supply chain system and export will be hampered if the production is affected. This will have negative impact on the national economy, it added.
BBN/SSR/AD-30Apr12-12:50 am (BST)
