The government agencies’ execution of projects in the first half of this fiscal is poor as they spent only 26 per cent of the annual development programme (ADP). They utilised 27 per cent of the Tk 1.80-trillion ADP outlay in the corresponding period (July-December) in fiscal year (FY) 2018-19, according to officials. In the same period of FY ’18 and FY ’17, the ADP implementation rates were recorded at 27 per cent each. The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) showed project implementers spent Tk 567.12 billion out of Tk 2.15-trillion ADP in H1 of FY ’20. Of the total outlay, the government allocated Tk 1.31 trillion from internal resources and Tk 718 billion from external resources as project aid. The remaining Tk 123.93 billion came from funds of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has said the government is hopeful of fully implementing the ADP by this fiscal. An IMED official said some ministries failed to improve project execution capacity as their implementation rates were lower this H1 than that last fiscal’s. Of the highest 15 development budget holders, railway, health, industries and energy ministries are the worst performers in the first five months of FY ’20. The government ministries and agencies are implementing some 1,617 projects under the ongoing ADP. Former Word Bank lead economist Dr Zahid Hussain said although the government is investing huge money in public servants’ capacity building, the project implementation is not being streamlined. “The government should speed up its project execution capacity and improve the quality of development work as well,” he observed. Meanwhile, the ECNEC approved on Tuesday seven projects-six new and a revised one-at a combined total of Tk 110.42 billion. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting. Other projects approved included Tk 88.51-billion safe water project and improvement of road embankment, pavement reconstruction and widening at Singra portion on Singra-Gurudaspur-Chatmohar road at Tk 1.36 billion. The Tk 1.31-billion Puthia-Bagmara road widening project, Permanent protection of 3.765km river bank embankment protection work to protect the Doarika Bridge from erosion of the Sugandha at Tk 2.83 billion were also approved. The ECNEC also endorsed projects like construction of bailey and RCC bridges (Dhaka zone) at narrow and important points at Tk 11.91 billion, establishment of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman planetarium in Barishal at Tk 4.12 billion. It also approved the extension of Narsingdi BSCIC industrial estate (1st revised) project at an additional Tk 385.6 million. Ministers, members of Planning Commission, secretaries of different ministries, among others, were present at the meeting.
Source – The Financial Express.
