Govt to frame time-bound work plan for ADP implementation

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A Z M Anas
The caretaker government (CG) will chart out a roadmap for the fiscal 2007-08 in a bid to avoid "traditional time lag" in implementation of development projects.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will sit with top bureaucrats in the third week of July to review the proposed work plan tailored to ensure timely implementation of the ADP (annual development programme) projects, a source at the Planning Division said.
The move came following a directive of the head of the CG who asked the ministries and executing agencies to frame a time-bound work plan for the implementation of the ADP.
The size of the next fiscal's ADP is TK 265 billion, which is 23 per cent higher than the current one.
The source noted that the chief adviser (CA) directed the ministries and divisions to prepare their respective plans for the projects, scheduled for completion in June next year. The ministries are supposed to submit their separate plans to the Planning Commission by June 30 after consultations with the advisers of various ministries.
The CA also instructed the secretaries to prepare bar-chart indicating implementation progress for a joint review of major projects on a monthly basis in key sectors such as power and energy.
The source said the government agencies have begun their respective exercises, keeping the forthcoming high-level meeting in mind.
Already, the planning secretary has issued a letter requesting the ministries, divisions and government agencies to carry out the CA's directives given at the latest NEC meeting.
According to the letter, the advisers of concerned ministries can extend the period of projects marked by star (*) by June 30, 2007 without changing their scope and costs. The time extension is allowed only up to June 30, 2008. It also noted that in future all procedures for time extension have to be completed before the formulation of the ADP.
Referring to the directives of the Chief Adviser, the letter said all secretaries should closely monitor the implementation of projects and try to remove roadblocks, if any.
The government has identified frequent transfers of project directors as the main reason for the slow pace of implementation.
For that, the letter pointed out that the government has decided to appoint project directors for the entire implementation period plus six months to ensure timely implementation of a project.
It also advised all concerned to avoid any cut on the project allocations for the revised ADP.
Besides, the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) was directed to track the progress of projects to be implemented by autonomous institutions or corporations on their own financing.
Even the monthly ADP review meeting will have to discuss the progress of such projects to be excluded from the number and costs of original ADP-related projects. However, a list of such projects along with the allocations will be included in the ADP.
In the past, the political governments used to approve hefty ADPs at the beginning of a fiscal year (FY), but the record of implementation was always below the mark at the close of FY.
All concerned would look forward to see how the present interim administration moves forward to expedite the project implementation, while improving the ADP management.