Dhaka: State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki announced a set of policy reforms aimed at reducing delays in project implementation, strengthening accountability, and improving the quality of public spending to accelerate economic recovery. The announcement came after a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the Secretariat.
According to United News of Bangladesh, eight out of nine projects presented to the committee received approval, while a riverbank protection scheme for Bhola Sadar and Daulatkhan upazilas was sent back for revision. The revision will address observations made during the meeting, with plans for resubmission at a future ECNEC meeting.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, alongside senior policymakers, scrutinized each project, focusing on financing, implementation, and expenditure to eliminate unnecessary costs. Saki emphasized the Prime Minister’s commitment to efficient spending and the incorporation of various directives and observations during project execution.
The ECNEC meeting also reviewed preliminary findings from an investigation into a road construction project in Rupsha, Khulna. Saki stated that Prime Minister Rahman ordered actions against those responsible once the investigation report is finalized. Additionally, the government is assessing both ongoing and pending projects to potentially modify their scope, aligning them with the government’s election manifesto and development objectives.
Saki acknowledged the protracted nature of Bangladesh’s project approval and implementation process, typically taking about two years from initial concept to implementation. Efforts are underway to shorten these timelines through new policies and guidelines, with recommendations already submitted by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).
With the current administration in office for five months, structural reforms are being introduced gradually. Rising project costs, such as those for the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, are attributed to exchange rate changes, tax adjustments, and additional components not included in original proposals.
Rejecting any manipulation in IMED’s data, Saki noted that the Ministry of Planning is pursuing several major reform initiatives. These include a five-year strategic development framework, a digital dashboard for project monitoring, and reforms to address bottlenecks in implementation.
Automation systems are to be integrated across government institutions, aiming for completion within 180 days. A committee under the Prime Minister’s directive is reviewing rate schedules to ensure realistic project costing, while the revised Universal Social Infrastructure Development Project’s allocation increased to Tk 1,450 crore, reflecting additional demands from across the country.
Source: United News of Bangladesh