Star Business Report
The prices of petroleum products were lowered yesterday to help farmers before the boro season, said chief adviser’s special assistant Dr M Tamim.
The prices of kerosene and diesel were reduced by Tk 2 per litre while petrol by Tk 4 and octane by Tk 3 a litre, said Tamim, also in-charge of the power, energy and mineral resources ministry, while talking to The Daily Star.
The new prices of petroleum products come into effect from 12:00am today.
The prices per litre diesel and kerosene are now down to Tk 46 from Tk 48, petrol to Tk 74 from Tk 78 and octane Tk 77 from Tk 80 a litre.
However, the government did not say anything about adjusting transport fares.
Earlier, the government slashed prices of petroleum products by 10 to 13 percent on October 26 this year following a drastic fall in their prices on global market.
Tamim said they again reduced the prices of petroleum products responding to further decline in their prices on the international market.
But the government has no plan to reduce the price of compressed natural gas at this moment as its price is still quite low, he said.
The government was scheduled to review the prices of petroleum products in early January next year, but it decided to cut the prices a little early to help the farmers, Tamim said.
He said the government is not giving any subsidy to petroleum products now.
It is up to the next elected government to make further adjustment to fuel prices, if necessary, Tamim added.
The present government has so far adjusted the prices of petroleum products four times.
Previously, the government in July this year increased prices of petroleum products by 35 percent on average as fuel prices on global market hit record high at $179 a barrel. But the prices began to slide since September.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
