Dissatisfied with slower pace of project implementation and delay in aid finalisation, the World Bank is going to make reappraisal of its 15 development projects involving $3.16 billion in Bangladesh to ascertain the reasons.
Ministry of Finance (MoF) officials said Saturday that the WB executives would sit with government agencies on January 29 for a review of nine ongoing projects and six others in the pipeline. The Bank has identified poor progress in their implementation and aid finalisation.
"The Bank will review the progress in disbursement for the nine ongoing projects. Besides, it will see the processing time and other problems on way to finalising the aid for the six other projects in the pipeline," Kazi Shofiqul Azam, an additional secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), told the FE about the move.
He said the WB would sit with the ERD, project directors and line ministries involved with the development projects in Dhaka on January 29 for the review.
ERD secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin and WB country director Johannes Zutt will be present at the daylong review.
As of now, the WB has confirmed nearly $6.52 billion (652 crore) worth of loans and grants for 33 ongoing development projects in Bangladesh.
Another ERD official said the Washington-based lender would review performance of 15 development projects as it is not satisfied with the fund-utilisation pace, physical progress and progress relating to the pipeline projects.
He adds: "The global lender has already informed the ERD and government implementing agencies about the poor performance in implementation of those projects."
The nine ongoing projects which will be reviewed are: US$75 million WB-supported Rural water supply and sanitation project; $300 million- supported third primary education development programme (PEDP-3); $375 million coastal embankment improvement project (CEIP-I); $16.71 million skills and training enhancement project; $125 million higher education quality enhancement project; $410 million municipal governance and services project; $600 million Rural electricity transmission and distribution project; $81 million higher education quality enhancement project; and $102.26 million-funded water management improvement project.
The six projects in the pipeline are: the proposed $178 million-supported urban resilience project; $200 million Notun Jibon Livelihood Improvement project; $150 million national agriculture technology project; $125 million pro-poor slums integration project; $300 million financial-sector support project; and $125 million-funded additional financing for the health-sector- development project.
ERD officials said funding the six projects had almost been confirmed as the World Bank has assured the authorities of the financial support.
The WB in its last review in September evaluated 22 aided projects as risky and problematic due to their very unsatisfactory implementation progress.
In the last review the WB expressed its dissatisfaction over the start-up delays, project-approval process, and delay in project execution.
The global lender also expressed its dissatisfaction over the miss-procurement for some projects, the ERD official said. All those issues were expected to be discussed at the January 29 review meeting, he added.
The global lender has suggested speeding up the implementation process or else it (WB) would be forced to rethink its assistance.
ERD additional secretary Azam said they would sit with the WB to remove hurdles to project implementation at different stages.
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