End load-shedding: shop owners

The Bangladesh Shop Owners Association yesterday urged the government to end load-shedding for the sake of small and micro enterprises.

Helal Uddin, president of the association, made the demand at a press conference at his office in the capital's Moghbazar. "Traders are now facing a tough situation for having to close their shops by 8:00pm coupled with the load-shedding for 1 to 2 hours daily," he said.

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Shop owners also urged the government to allow them to keep their shops open from 12:00pm to 9:00pm as it would reduce the intolerable levels of traffic congestion.

Uddin said shops are being forced to close at 8:00pm since June 20 at a time when the entire world is still facing Covid-19 and rampant inflation stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war.

This means that shop owners are earning less money while still having to bear employee wages, electricity bills, rent and other expenses.

"That's why they are in a serious financial crisis," he added.

Uddin believes that if diesel and LNG prices are adjusted in line with the international market instead of opting for load-shedding, the government subsidy on fuel would be reduced.

But due to unplanned load shedding for 1 to 2 hours daily, the entire achievement of the power sector has been put in question, he said.

Load shedding for two hours daily started across the country from July 19 as the government is taking various measures to cope with the ongoing energy crisis.

Since the government decided to stop the import of liquified natural gas from the international spot market at a high price, there were shortfalls in power generation that led to load-shedding.