DHAKA: The draft Power and Energy Fast Supply Enhancement (Special Provision) Law 2010 is likely to be sent to the Law Ministry for vetting soon before its enactment to put the energy business on a crash course.

A cabinet meeting held on September 6 approved in principle the draft law with 14 clauses that would allow the government to award energy-sector contracts through unsolicited negotiations for next two years.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Enamul Haque told Banglanews, “The cabinet has approved in principle the draft law. Now it will be sent to the Law Ministry for vetting.”

He said the government follows the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) before doing any job of economic interests. But, sometimes, it proves time- consuming.

“But there will be no problem now in implementing any decision on an urgent basis as the cabinet recently approved the draft law on power and energy,” Haque said.
His observations underlined the need of pushing through schemes in the potential sector as the country reels from an energy crunch leaving hydrocarbons and coal untapped.

Incidentally, the law vesting sweeping power in the government comes in the wake of some big deals in energy exploration remained hung on the backburner—for legal tangles, protests from some quarters and the like.                    

The draft law states plans for increased power generation could not be implemented quickly for short supply of fuels. But mitigating the power and energy deficits under the present law is time-consuming.

It adds: The law is needed to implement the plan for import of power and energy from abroad for ensuring uninterrupted generation, transmission, transportation and marketing of power and energy and to ensure quick extraction and usage of mineral resources.  

In the draft law is there a suggestion for formulating a proposal to ensure maximum public interests through making contact, discussion and bargain with the organizations concerned for implementing the plan of the processing committee.
For getting over foot dragging the law allows direct tendering and unsolicited deal with a single bidder through restrictive tender.

The draft also recommended quickly publishing advertisements in newspapers and on websites of the ministries concerned for publicity and implementing Planning Ministry’s initiative.

The tough new law in the making also provides that no one could raise question about the legality of any order under the law.

“If any problem arises, the government will publish a gazette on its solution. Indications for solving problems will be in the gazette,” it is stated in the objective

of the energy law.
BDST: 1550 HRS, SEP 14, 2010.