Govt fooling people on PSC: oil-gas body

Dhaka, June 28 (bdnews24.com)?The government is misguiding people about the production-sharing contract it signed with US company ConocoPhillips on gas exploration from two deep-sea blocks, a citizens' platform has alleged.

At a discussion in the city on Friday, leaders of the National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Ports also questioned the government decision to lift ban on export of LNG, or liquefied natural gas.

They said the government had signed the deal with ConocoPhillips to export all gas from the two deep-sea blocks.

The committee organised the discussion on 'Why the agreement signed with ConocoPhillips on the exploration of oil-gas from the Bay of Bengal is contrary to the national interest' at Mukti Bhaban in Naya Paltan.

The government signed the deal with the US firm on June 16, awarding exploration of gas from two deep-sea blocks.

The company won deep-sea blocks DS-08-10 and -11 at an offshore block bidding floated by Petrobangla in 2008. The PSC allows exploration of the undisputed part of the blocks and that covers an area of 5,158 square kilometres.

The blocks are located about 280 kilometres from the port city of Chittagong.

The committee has been opposing signing of the agreement since beginning. It has also called a half-day general strike in Dhaka for July 3 in a bid to push the government to rescind the agreement.

Presenting the keynote paper, Dhaka University economics professor M M Akash questioned the motive behind the recent approval of the National Export Policy, exempting LNG from the list of export ban items.

Member secretary of the committee professor Anu Muhammad said the government was deceiving people by saying that the deal was signed in national interest.

Committee convenor Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah urged all to make its July 3 hartal a success.

Marine expert Nur Mohammad, water expert M Enamul Haque, professor Akmal Hossain of international relations department of Dhaka University, professor Naseem Akhter Hussain of government and politics department of Jahangirnagar University and anthropologist Rehnuma Ahmed also addressed at the discussion.

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Khalekuzzaman and Ganasanghati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, among others, were also present.

bdnews24.com/mmr/skb/sht/bd/1706h

View the original article here

Read more...

Withdraw oil-gas hartal, urges DCCI

Dhaka, June 19 (bdnews24.com) ? Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) has called on the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports to withdraw its proposed July 3 half-day general strike.

The citizens' body called the strike on Saturday to protest the government's deep-sea oil and gas exploration deal with US firm ConocoPhillips.

A DCCI press release on Saturday urged the committee to call off its strike, saying it welcomed the gas exploration activities that also upheld national interests.

"Many industries in the country are unable to operate due to lack of gas supply. They are facing losses," the release said.

The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) was signed with ConocoPhillips on Thursday, assigning it two of the 28 sea blocks with the country for exploration of gas and oil.

bdnews24.com/arr/sh/nir/2345h

View the original article here

Read more...

OIL-GAS DEAL Who is a better patriot, asks PM

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? Echoing her cabinet colleagues and energy officials, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said they are doing nothing against the country's interest.

She also slammed those opposing the deep-sea gas exploration deal with US firm ConocoPhillips, inked on Thursday, and questioned, "Who is better patriot and protector of the country's interests?"

Hasina was addressing the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the National Board of Revenue headquarters at Agargaon in the city on Saturday.

In an oblique reference to the protest programmes carried out by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, she said they were silent during the previous government when there was no development work in the country. "When we're marching ahead, these groups are opposing us," she regretted.

The prime minister said this group often cries out loud in the name of protecting the country's interest. "Where were they when there was no electricity production, no gas exploration and long-wait of investors to go on production for lack of gas and electricity?"

She claimed that her government would do nothing against the country and its people.

Texas-based ConocoPhillips was chosen to conduct its seismic surveys in blocks 10 and 11 as per an international tender in line with a model PSC-2008 formulated during the last caretaker government.

The final go-ahead for inking the PSC was given on May 23 by the cabinet committee on economic affairs.

The oil-gas protection committee has been opposing the deal from the very beginning. Besides, an MP, several leftist parties and fuel experts gave speeches and issued statements against the deal.

They said Bangladesh would own 20 percent of the gas and it would have to buy the rest 80 percent at a certain rate according to the PSC. If Bangladesh fails to import the rest of the gas amount, ConocoPhillips could export it elsewhere.

During the signing ceremony, fi nance minister A M A Muhith said the government had protected the interest of the country in the deal. "After maximum negotiations with the company, the government has prepared the agreement," he said.

Advisor Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the export provision is part of resource diversification. "We want to import LNG and at the same time we will allow export of LNG to keep all the options open," he explained.

"The export is only possible when Bangladesh will refuse to buy gas from the company."

Petrobangla chairman Hossain Monsur on Wednesday told bdnews24.com that some people were misinterpreting the deal. "There's nothing against the country's interests in the PSC," he claimed.

Hasina at the programme claimed that her government took effective measures to accelerate the country's development.

"We've created an investment-friendly environment in the country to attract foreign direct investment and simplified investment related laws and ruled to this end."

Hasina claimed that foreign direct investment was increasing as Bangladesh has become most attractive investment destination in South Asia.

She also said the government was providing capital for massive development projects in infrastructure and service sectors. She also pointed at the proposed economic zones in seven divisions.

The prime minister said in the proposed national budget of next fiscal tax holiday facility were ensured for 17 sectors and that Public Private Partnership Policy was formulated to encourage private investments in infrastructure and service sectors.

"The country's image has brightened abroad following the establishment of good governance."

She said two incentive packages were awarded to the export sector to tackle the adverse affects of the globaleconomic meltdown.

Saying that two closed jute mills have already been reopened and five others would be reopened soon, she said thus jute regained its lost glory.

State minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan and BoI executive chairman S A Samad were, among others, present at the meeting.

The 14-storey NBR office will be implemented by the Public Works Department costing around Tk 1 billion to be financed by the government.

bdnews24.com/sum/pks/sam/1620h

View the original article here

Read more...