The Shipping ministry has rejected the proposal of launch owners to double the existing launch fare citing recent fuel price hike.
"We have formed a committee and asked to submit a report reviewing the situation by this afternoon," Shipping ministry Secretary Mostafa Kamal said at press conference at the Secretariat today.
The ministry will issue a gazette on 10 August regarding new fares following recent fuel price hike, he added.
Launch Owners, in a letter sent to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on 7 August, proposed to increase the launch fare to Tk4.6 per kilometre from Tk2.3 for first 100 kilometres and hike the fare to Tk4 from Tk2 per kilometre for distance above 100 kilometres.
The letter reads that it has become impossible for the owners to operate launches due to the unusual hike of fuel oil. In this circumstance, it is compulsory to hike the launch fare.
On 5 August, the government increased fuel oil prices by 42.5% to 51.6%, the highest in 20 years, dealing a big blow to people already overwhelmed by skyrocketing prices of essential goods amid record inflation.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division hiked diesel and kerosene prices by Tk34 per litre to Tk114 and octane and petrol prices by Tk46 per litre to Tk135 and Tk130, respectively.
Prices of diesel and kerosene were increased by Tk15 last November and fixed at Tk80 per litre. After the hike in diesel prices, bus fare was hiked by around 27%, launch fares were hiked by 35%.
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