The government has revised fees for inspecting, testing and renewing approvals for electrical installations and equipment through an amendment to the Electricity Rules, 2020.
The Energy Division issued a notification on October 15, published in a special supplement to the Bangladesh Gazette on October 17, replacing Schedule-1 of the Electricity Rules, 2020.
The amendment was made under Section 59 of the Electricity Act, 2018, and came into effect immediately.
Under the revised schedule, inspection and testing fees for substations vary according to their capacity, with separate charges for renewal of approval.
For a 100-kilovolt-ampere (kVA) substation, the inspection and testing fee has been set at Tk 20,000, while the renewal fee is Tk 10,000. The respective charges for a 200-kVA substation are Tk 25,000 and Tk 12,500.
For a 500-kVA substation, the inspection fee is Tk 40,000 and the renewal fee Tk 20,000. For a one-megavolt-ampere (MVA) substation, the fees are Tk 60,000 and Tk 30,000, respectively.
The schedule sets the inspection and testing fee at Tk 1.5 lakh and the renewal fee at Tk 50,000 for a five-MVA substation. For a 10-MVA substation, the respective charges are Tk 1.4 lakh and Tk 70,000.
For higher-capacity substations, the inspection and renewal fees are Tk 2 lakh and Tk 1 lakh for a 20-MVA substation, Tk 4 lakh and Tk 2 lakh for a 50-MVA substation, and Tk 7 lakh and Tk 3.5 lakh for a 100-MVA substation.
The highest category listed, a 500-MVA substation, carries an inspection and testing fee of Tk 30 lakh and a renewal fee of Tk 15 lakh. The fee for linkage testing in the electricity system has been fixed at Tk 2,000.
The notification also sets charges for approving building electrical wiring diagrams and safety plans. The fee is Tk 5,000 for electricity use below 50 kilowatts and Tk 10,000 for use of 50 kilowatts or above.
For manufacturers of electrical substation equipment, the inspection and testing fee is Tk 50,000 for equipment rated up to 11,000 volts, with a renewal fee of Tk 25,000. For equipment rated at 33,000 volts or above, the respective charges are Tk 75,000 and Tk 37,500.
Inspection and testing of transformer oil testing laboratories will cost Tk 20,000, while renewal of approval will cost Tk 12,500.
Energy metre testing fees have been set at Tk 2,000 for single-phase metres, Tk 5,000 for three-phase metres and Tk 10,000 for main or high-tension (HT) metres. The earthing test fee for an electrical lift is Tk 500 per electrode.
For passenger, capsule and bed lifts, the inspection and testing fee is Tk 6,000 and the renewal fee Tk 3,000. For cargo, goods, car, firefighting and service lifts, the respective fees are Tk 10,000 and Tk 5,000.
The notification says that if a specific category is not listed, the relevant inspection officer will determine the fee proportionately, using the charges for the nearest comparable categories immediately above and below it.
The prescribed fees must be paid as non-tax revenue through a Treasury Challan or online e-Challan using the government-designated code. The occupant of a building or premises where electricity is generated, received or used, or is intended to be used, will be responsible for paying the applicable fee.
After making the payment, applicants must submit an online application to the Chief Electrical Inspector’s Office and attach the original payment challan.
The amendment also repeals the Power Division’s order of May 21, 2014, titled Order on Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations or Equipment and Issuance of Electrical Licences, 2014.
The revised schedule replaces the fee structure under the previous 2014 order. It covers inspection, testing and renewal of approvals for a range of electrical installations and equipment, including substations, lifts, energy metres and transformer oil testing laboratories.