The National Economic Council (NEC) Saturday finalised the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Tk 265 billion for fiscal 2007-08 with 51 per cent of the fund proposed to be mobilised from internal resources.
The size of the new ADP is Tk 5.0 billion or 2.0 per cent higher than the current ADP of Tk 260 billion and Tk 49 billion or 23 per cent more than that of the revised ADP of Tk 216 billion.
Presided over by the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the NEC finalised the new ADP for next financial year in the capital.
Advisers, secretaries and high officials of different ministries were present at the meeting.
Emerging from the meeting, Finance and Planning Adviser, Mirza Azizul Islam, briefed the newsmen on the new ADP and said: "The government has adopted the programme laying emphasis on poverty alleviation and human resources (HR) development."
Mirza Aziz said that 51 per cent (Tk 135.15 billion) funds for the new ADP would be generated from domestic resources and the remaining 49 per cent (Tk 129.8 billion) from the external resources.
He said: "Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Resources sector will get maximum 23 per cent allocation from the total Tk 265 billion ADP while the Power sector will get 16 per cent."
"Besides, the education and religion sector will get 14 per cent allocation, transportation and communications 12 per cent, health and family planning 10 per cent and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will get 1.7 per cent allocation in the new ADP," the finance adviser said.
He said that considering the ailing power sector in the country, the caretaker administration had given 16 per cent (Tk 42.4 billion) allocation in the new ADP for fiscal 2007-08, which is 31 per cent higher than the allocation in the revised ADP for fiscal 2006-07.
When asked about the allocation for "gram sarkar", Mirza Aziz said that no separate allocation has been earmarked, but Tk 8.96 billion has been provided for the local government that is Tk 1.49 billion or 20 per cent more from the current ADP allocation.
Citing the poor implementation capacity of the project executing agencies of the government, the finance adviser informed that the NEC meeting Saturday took several decisions in order to improve the implementation capacity of the concerned agencies.
If the activities and costs of any unimplemented or partially executed projects does not require any changes, then the ministries concerned will be able to extend the project period themselves instead of seeking planning commission's approval, he said.
Mirza Aziz added that from now on, project directors (PD) would be appointed for the entire project duration and additional six months from the deadline of the project implementation period.
"To simplify the procurement for different projects, the NEC has asked the government secretary committee to recommend a process to the advisory council within next two months to do so," he said adding, this will help to quicken the project implementation process.
On the job transfer process of the government employees from development sector to revenue ones, the finance adviser said that the NEC also directed the secretary committee to recommend a process to make it simple. The present job transfer process is a little bit complex, he added.
"We have estimated a realistic revenue target, external and internal resources and a consistent domestic borrowing target for the next budget considering the macro-economic stability," he stated saying, "We are preparing a non-ambitious, political pressure-free and more realistic budget."
According to sources, the government has taken a total of 927 development projects in the ADP for fiscal 2007-08.
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