ADB to review $3b projects

FHM Humayan Kabir | Published: February 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will review its nearly US$3.0 billion funded 36 development projects in Bangladesh as many of those now face several implementation hurdles in different stages, officials said Monday.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) officials said the ADB will send a review mission from its headquarters on March 2 for discussing implementation status of the projects with the related ministries and the executing agencies.
After discussion with the project executing agencies, a tri-partite portfolio review meeting would be held at the ERD office in Dhaka on the final day of its visit on March 16, a senior ERD official told the FE.
"As there are startup delays in some projects and several other hurdles in their implementations stages, the review mission will facilitate steps to remove the obstacles to quick or on-time execution of the development projects," he said.
An official in Dhaka ADB office said they would review the projects to expedite their implementation.
"Besides, we will also review the implementation status of the decisions, taken at the last review meeting, for removing the delays in execution of the ADB-funded projects here, he added.
The ADB is the second largest multi-lateral donor of Bangladesh. The ADB portfolio for Bangladesh currently includes 36 investment programme loans amounting to nearly $3.06 billion. Besides, its technical assistance amounting to about $30.15 million covers 30 areas.
In the last financial year (FY) 2012-13, the ADB's annual loan disbursement to Bangladesh was $616 million, ERD statistics showed.
In the last review meeting, the ADB called upon the government for reducing approval time and start-up delays of the projects to get extended support from the Bank, officials said.
The government's project executing agencies had agreed to follow the ADB's proposal for procurement of goods and services, appointment of project staff by executing agencies, completing preparation of bid documents, and finalising land acquisition and resettlement plans before project approvals, they said.
"The review will help improve project implementation by removing bottlenecks and constraints to achieving development results for the people of Bangladesh", the ADB official said.
Another senior ERD official said the ADB and the government side would discuss the progress of the Bank-funded projects in Bangladesh. They are expected to reach some consensus to speed up project preparation and execution.
As one of the lead development partners in energy, water supply and sanitation, agriculture and natural resources, education, and transport sectors, the ADB's cumulative lending to Bangladesh amounts to $14.1 billion for 234 loans. The technical assistance grants for 422 projects stood at $228.41 million until June 2013.