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Chamber leaders are worried about how to face the electricity crisis in the coming summer.
The country currently has demand of 5000 megawatt (mw) of electricity daily. But total production capacity including private sector is 3800 mw.
The real electricity production now is 3100 mw, leaving a shortfall of 1900 mw.
Moreover infrastructure of different power generation units in the country is not well managed; often there are sudden shutdown of power creating serious and adverse impact on industrial as well as agricultural production.
Talking to the FE, vice president of Federation of Bangladesh chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Dewan Sultan Ahmad said shortage of supply against the demand of electricity in summer is seriously hampering country's business and industrial production.
Dewan said frequent disruption of supply and low-voltage during production hours adversely affect industrial production as well as cause mechanical and technical problems for the costly machineries.
Due to increasing production cost the country may see further increase in prices of various essential commodities in summer, he said.
Dewan emphasised on the need for proper management of available production capacity and full utilisation of the capacity of different power stations efficiently and effectively considering the importance of priority sectors.
Talking to the FE Secretary of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Mozammel Hoque Choudhury said some 285 new cold storages will start operation at the end of this month and 18 new cold storages are under construction.
Mozammel expressed his concern over frequent power outages during the summer season, which would certainly hamper price stability of perishable items.
Mozammel said if sufficient power supply cannot be ensured, storage of potato, potato seeds and other perishable food items will decline, leading to emergency import of these items from abroad spending huge amount of foreign exchange.
Mozammel said as agro-based industry is being given emphasis, uninterrupted power supply in this sector has to be ensured for the sake of the country.
Talking to the FE, President of Dhaka Mahanagar Dokan Malik Samity and Director of FBCCI Helal Uddin said if power supply is stopped soon after dusk shop owners have to incur a serious financial loss as it has been a habit of the common people to go for shopping after evening.
Helal alleged that guidance and directions relating to unnecessary electric decoration and using big billboards are not properly followed.
He criticised the ministerial decision of charging excess interest for not paying electric bills in due time.
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