"We the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) had sat together and calculated that a hike to Tk 25 per cubic meter with uninterrupted gas supply to industries would be beneficial to us," FBCCI senior vice- president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu told the FE after the news broke.
"But the higher-than-expected hike might reduce export and foreign-currency earnings," he said.
Manufacturing costs in gas-guzzling industries will shoot up with the tariff hike, he feared.
Commoners will be under pressure and strained, as the consequences.
The FBCCI leader, however, thanked the government for keeping the gas tariffs for household consumers, CNG, tea estates and fertilizer factories unchanged.
Mr Babu hopes the government would reduce natural gas tariffs when its price in the international market comes down.
