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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that the loan Bangladesh is taking from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has no significant conditions attached with it, reports UNB.
“IMF provides loan to a country only when it has the capacity to repay the loan. We’re not taking loan with any conditions,” she said replying to an opposition lawmaker in the Parliament.
Taking the floor on a point of order, Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Haque Chunnu said Bangladesh is now meeting some conditions to get loan from IMF and already raised the electricity tariff and will increase gas price due to the loan and this will lead to soaring prices of commodities and inflation.
In response, Hasina said the government is providing subsidy to power and gas.
“My question is that which other country of the world provides subsidy to electricity and gas. We’ve increased the electricity generation and ensured electricity supply. But all will have to exercise austerity in using electricity,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the price of electricity was raised by 150 per cent in England following the Ukraine-Russia war.
“We’ve just enhanced the price of electricity by only 5 per cent and also raised the price of bulk gas to some extent now,” she added.
She said the spot price of LNG which was only US$ 6 is now US$ 68 US dollar in the international market.
“If so, how much subsidies will the government provide? The government provides the subsidies from the public money,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the commodity prices have soared throughout the world. In Bangladesh, the government provided fair price card and TCB card for the lower and middle-income people so that they can purchase some essential commodities including rice at subsidized rates, she added.
The Premier, however, said the inflation came down slightly in December and January last in the country. The food inflation is 13.3 per cent in a country like England. The same situation prevails in all other countries of the world. But Bangladesh has not fallen into such situation yet.
She also put emphasis on austerity in usage of electricity and gas. The use of electricity was reduced by 50 per cent in Prime Minister’s Office and Ganabhaban.
Sheikh Hasina said she clearly told the businesspeople that the government can provide uninterrupted gas supply to them, if they agree to pay the same rate what the government spends to procure gas from international market.
“If they want uninterrupted gas supply, they would have to pay the same price what the government needs to procure gas. There is no reason to provide subsidy here,” she said.
In reply to another question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Syed Abu Hossain, Sheikh Hasina said the risk of food crisis has emerged due to the overall economic and social negative impacts of the overlong Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
She said the overlong Corona pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have impacted the global economy and Bangladesh is no exception here.
Hasina said her government has taken various measures to ensure no food shortage occurs in the country due to global economic recession and food crisis.
Responding to another question from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif, the premier placed the statistics on the progress building 10 mega projects.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
