Dhaka, Feb 4, 2021 (BSS) – Prime Minister’s energy advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, today said cost will be reduced if the IDCOL gives loan to consumer directly by opening branch.
“IDCOL can think about branch and loan disbursement directly to consumers. It will be a different work,” he told the virtual talks on Industrial Energy Efficiency Dialogue as the chief guest.
IDCOL organized the virtual talks in collaboration with Energy & Power magazine to aware people about the developments and challenges of the power and energy sector of the country.
Editor of Energy & Power magazine Mollah Amzad moderated the talks, while Special Envoy for the United Nations Climate Vulnerable Forum Presidency Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Md Abdul Jalil, and Power Secretary Md Habibur Rahman spoke.
Chairman of SREDA Mohammad Alauddin presented the keynote paper and experts, economists and journalists took part in the discussion.
Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said direct loan disbursement will be a different job, but it may be better not to be in a place. “If the IDCOL could not set up a branch or the bank could not have a designated branch, the bank cannot pay much attention,” he added.
“If I say no energy saving, your cost will go down. Then it will be more meaningful and we have to make a good slogan for this. Coverage has to be increased and SMEs could also be brought under it,” Chowdhury said.
He said now agriculture is also becoming an industry. “If irrigation equipment is affordable then its impact will be immense. There is an opportunity to focus on the transport sector. We have to consider whether it is possible to ensure an energy saving award and encouragement will make others interested to this end,” he observed.
The advisor said it needs to be affordable for many reasons, but the government is subsidizing electricity for the development of the industry.
Special envoy of the UN Climate Venerable Forum Abul Kalam Azad said funds have been lined up for the green industry and industrialists are working on it. “The prime minister is talking about reducing costs, not saving electricity,” he said.
Power secretary Habibur Rahman said, “If we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then we have to ensure use of renewable energy and moderate use of renewable energy.”
He also highlighted about the challenges in using affordable equipment in this regard.
