ADP implementation in FY'07 may be record low

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Shakhawat Hossain
The implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in fiscal 2006-07 might be a record low, at about 80 per cent, planning ministry officials feared.
The rate of ADP implementation was only 61 per cent in the first eleven months (July-May) of the just concluded fiscal year, the officials said adding that details of the ADP fund utilisation in the month of June were not available with them.
The ministries and divisions were left with a daunting task to improve their implementation record in the last month (June). The lowest ever ADP implementation rate at 88.1 per cent was posted in fiscal 2001-02.
"It will be very difficult task for them to make a leap forward in the last month of the fiscal that witnessed an unhealthy environment due to political transition," said a senior ministry official.
According to the official, some Tk 132.25 billion or 61 per cent of the revised ADP worth Tk 216.00 billion was spent until May as the implementing ministries and divisions lost at least two months' time due to political turmoil.
"Another major reason behind such poor implementation rate is the absence of last moment spending spree on political consideration -- a common phenomenon," added the official.
Available statistics suggested that the ADP implementation rate was 79 per cent during the same period of the corresponding fiscal.
The picture would have been further dismal if the caretaker government (CG) had not gone for big revision of the ADP for fiscal 2006-07.
The CG revised the ADP size to Tk 216.00 billion from original Tk 260.00 billion that was adopted by the immediate past political government.
It appeared that the CG was also very serious about the qualitative changes in the ADP as it took a number of initiatives to establish transparency in government development expenditure.
Under the initiatives, the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has started hosting a separate window in its website with details of some 100 big projects.
The website is likely to be inaugurated officially today (Thursday) by the finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam.