DHAKA, Dec 28, 2017 (BSS) – The size and expenditure of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) have increased manifold over the last nine years of the Awami League government with attaining the country’s capacity of undertaking and implementing mega projects.
The overall size and expenditure of the ADP have been increasing significantly during the tenure of the Awami League government, said officials at the Planning Ministry.
The original ADP size in the current fiscal (Taka 1,53,331.25 crore) has witnessed a 438 percent increase over the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) of the FY10 with Tk 28,500 crore, according to official data.
About the increase of ADP size, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan attributed this achievement as a ‘huge success’ of the present government.
He said many countries in the world are now surprised of such successes of Bangladesh.
Talking to BSS, the State Minister said this has happened due to the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alongside relentless efforts from all the stakeholders concerned and selection of pro-people projects.
Former Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Mustafa K Mujeri said the present Awami League government wants to turn Bangladesh into a mid-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.
“Besides, efforts are also there to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030…considering this, the size of the ADP should be further enhanced to attain those targets,” he said.
Mujeri, now the executive director of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM), suggested the government to continue efforts to increase the public investment ratio to GDP side by side putting more emphasis on raising the capacity of utilising public fund with maintaining quality and time.
“The government should continue to focus on raising the institutional capacity to properly reap the benefits of development,” he said.
Md Mofizul Islam, the secretary of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning, recently told BSS that the IMED is now more active than the previous time in monitoring development projects.
“The IMED has also increased its coverage of monitoring the development projects,” Mofizul said, expressing his hope of achieving cent percent implementation rate in the current year.
He said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal held meetings with the secretaries of the different ministries and the executing agencies to further expedite the implementation of the development projects, which is also putting a positive impact on implementation of projects.
After the AL government’s assumption of office in January 2009 till the last fiscal year, a total of 244 ECNEC meetings were held where some 1,814 development projects were approved with an overall outlay of Taka 14,16,479.79 crore, according to an official at the Planning Ministry.
The official said during the period, the concerned Planning Ministers within their jurisdiction also gave nod to some 468 projects with an overall expenditure of Tk 12,786.19 crore.
He said a total of 27 ECNEC meetings were held in the entire calendar year from January 3 to the last ECNEC meeting on December 26, 2017, where 253 projects were approved with an overall estimated cost of Tk 4,83,895.7 crore.
Besides, a total of 23 National Economic Council (NEC) meetings took place from April 30, 2009 to June 20, 2017.
MORE…