Rampant power failure

Why only them, frequent load shedding in large parts of the city for more than three weeks has become unbearable for all of us. The government itself admitted that it would be so for a while till power supply was fully restored. But it never said how long that 'while' would last for. We know there are problems -- both logistical and financial, but what we don't know are the reasons behind these problems. Thanks to lack of investment in the power sector, Dhaka Electric Supply Authority or DESA in short, has been supplying electricity with years old machines and transformers which probably have not been serviced or properly maintained for many years. On top of that, demand has increased over the years though supply has not, accordingly.

We would like to assume that the government has realised the severity of the power crisis. Failure to curb system loss, inefficiency and widespread corruption has hindered the growth of this sector putting us way behind the other South Asian countries. What we should must do now is to identify the stumbling blocks and take measures to remove them urgently. The latest World Bank report on investment climate in Bangladesh could be an eye opener for the authorities. Most surprisingly, it's not corruption and other hurdles, it's the erratic power supply that tops the list of obstacles in investment. It's high time the government got its acts together. If a basic necessity like uninterrupted power supply is not ensured, then no matter how much facilities are provided to the foreign investors, they will continue to stay away like they have been.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source