DHAKA, May 20, 2014 (BSS) – The National Economic Council (NEC) today approved the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Taka 86,000 crore for the financial year 2014-15 with the incorporation of the own financing projects of corporations and autonomous bodies of Taka 5,685 crore that has raised the total ADP size.
The actual ADP size, however, stood at Taka 80,315 crore if the own financing of the corporations and autonomous bodies are excluded.
In the new ADP, transport sectors have been given highest priority while Taka 8,100 crore has been kept for the construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project.
The approval came from the NEC meeting held at the NEC conference room in city\’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with NEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal told reporters after the meeting the proposal for the actual ADP allocation was Taka 79,031 crore for FY15.
\”In the meeting, the Prime Minister has allocated additional Taka 1,284 crore that raised the actual ADP allocation to Taka 80,315 crore,\” said the minister, adding, \”The overall ADP allocation stood at Taka 86,000 crore after the incorporation of the own financing of the corporations and autonomous bodies.\”
He informed 1187 projects have been included in the new ADP. Defending for the big ADP size, the Planning Minister said Bangladesh is now not in a position which it was five years back as the next ADP size is Taka 86,000 crore compared Taka 23,000 crore in 2009.
Terming the economy of Bangladesh as a resilient one, he said the economic indicators of the country are gradually going upwards now.
He also noted with satisfaction that the per capita income is currently around US$ 1180.
Planning Division Secretary Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam said transport sector has been given highest priority in the new ADP followed by education and religion sector, power sector, physical planning, water supply and housing sector, rural development and rural institutions sector, agriculture sector and health, nutrition, population and family welfare sector.
Officials said the ADP outlay for the current fiscal FY14 is Taka 73,984 crore including self financed projects worth Taka 8,112 crore.
The ADP implementation rate except the self-financed projects for the July- March period of the current fiscal is however, 43 percent, compared to 49 percent from the same period of the last fiscal.
Of the total 1187 projects, some 879 are investment projects, 134 are technical assistance projects and 21 are included under Japanese Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) while 153 projects would be implemented with the own fund of the corporations and the autonomous bodies.
Besides, some 40 projects were earmarked under the Public- Private- Partnership (PPP) initiative for implementation.
During the briefing, Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam said a total of 683 unapproved projects were kept in the green page in the ADP while another 276 new unapproved projects were kept for foreign assistance.
He said the new ADP would eye to mobilize Taka 27,700 crore from foreign sources as project assistance while Taka 1,200 crore would come as budget support.
Replying to a query, the Planning Minister said the additional allocation of Taka 1,284 crore were made by the Prime Minister to meet additional demand of some Ministries while the sector-wise final allocation would be made later through adjusting the additional allocation.
Ministers, state Ministers, Planning Commission members and concerned Secretaries attended the meeting.