Bangladesh’s state-owned corporation, Petrobangla, has requested a loan of Tk7,181 crore from the finance ministry to cover the costs of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) until September. The corporation reported losses of Tk25,480 crore from 2018 to May 2023, with Tk8,000 crore incurred in just one year due to the surge in global LNG spot prices. Petrobangla has nearly exhausted the Gas Development Fund, with only Tk1,500 crore remaining out of Tk19,000 crore.
The government has provided a subsidy of Tk22,000 crore to Petrobangla since 2018. The budget allocation for LNG in the previous fiscal year has been fully paid at Tk6,000 crore. However, with Tk30,000 crore required to settle subsidy arrears, only Tk5,000 crore is available for subsidy payments in the current fiscal year 2023-2024. Petrobangla’s financial challenges are exacerbated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, leading to increased oil prices and subsidy burdens.