As part of overhauling the power and energy sectors, the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has placed focus on the elimination of detrimental legislation such as the “Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act.”
The private think tank also said that the first and most important phase in the interim government’s energy transition should be to revise, amend, and create new acts, laws, and regulations.
“The ‘Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act 2010’ is anticompetitive and stops opportunity to go for competitive bidding to find out the most efficient,” said CPD Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem.
He made this statement at the city’s CPD office at a media briefing on the “Power and Energy Sector Reform Agenda for the Interim Government”.
According to Moazzem, the ‘Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act’ was created in 2010 with a two-year special provision, and its duration has since been repeatedly extended.
He said, “A proposal to extend its tenure for five more years, until October 2026, was approved by the cabinet in September 2021.”
He informed that though the act was supposed to implement decisions on “urgent extraction and utilisation of minerals related to energy”, it has never been on practice. “The Act directly overrides “Public Procurement Act 2006″ (Section 3). This removes the transparency and accountability of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB),” he added.
He said, “The act creates the path of lobbying, favoritism and taking initiatives without proper considerations. Overall, the “Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act, 2010″ needs to be repealed immediately.”
Nonetheless, Moazzem claimed that the electricity and energy industry has long been hampered by mismanagement, corruption, anomalies, and bad governance.
He stated that policies have to include sector-wise renewable energy diversification, rules for Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), and a set target for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. They should also include comprehensive plans for electrifying rural areas.
“The revised policies should include clear definitions and objectives, prioritize renewable energy, and establish a framework for phase-out plans for fossil fuels,” he added.
He stated that the fast enhancement act should be immediately replaced with the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2006 and Public Procurement Rules (PPR) 2008, since this will promote public trust in energy transition projects, boost transparency, and lower the possibility of favoritism.
Research Associate Mashfiq Ahasan Hridoy and CPD Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiyat Preoty were among those in attendance.
