Tk 658.70b ADP for next fiscal to get govt nod today

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FHM Humayan Kabir The government is going to approve a Tk 658.70 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal, 26 per cent higher than the revised ADP of the outgoing fiscal, today (Tuesday), officials said Monday. In the outgoing financial year (FY) 2012-13, the government formulated a Tk 523.66 billion revised ADP to implement 1205 development projects of different state-owned agencies. The next development budget, for the first time, will also incorporate a new allocation of Tk 81.14 billion for the state-owned autonomous organisations and corporations in addition to the Tk 658.70 billion ADP outlay. Planning Commission (PC) officials said the new Tk 658.70 billion ADP for the next fiscal will be placed before the National Economic Council (NEC) today (Tuesday). The upcoming ADP for the next FY2013-14 has included a total of 1176 projects. Out of the Tk 658.70 billion ADP, Tk 413.07 billion, or 62.70 per cent, will be provided from the government's own fund and Tk 245.63 billion, or 37.30 per cent out of external assistance as project aid. A Commission official said the transport sector has been given the highest priority in the proposed Tk 658.70 billion ADP for the next fiscal as it has received Tk 153.74 billion, or 23.34 per cent allocations.The power sector will receive the second highest Tk90.53 billion or 13.74 percent of the total outlay; education and religion sector third highest at Tk 87.66 billion or 13.31 per cent; and the rural development and rural institutions fourth highest at Tk 66.22 billion or 10.05 per cent allocations of the total outlay. Besides, the infrastructure planning, water supply and housing sector will receive Tk 54.54 billion or 8.82 percent; health, nutrition, population and family welfare sector Tk 42.40 billion, or 6.64 per cent; and the agriculture sector Tk 37.21 billion or 5.65 per cent allocations of the total outlay. The PC officials said out of the 1176 projects in the upcoming ADP, 996 have been included from the ADP of the outgoing FY2012-13, 50 are newly approved projects and 130 projects have been included from the state-owned autonomous organisations/corporations. Out of the total projects included in ADP, 305 will be completed within the next fiscal. Besides, the ADP of the next fiscal will also include 661 non-approved projects without allocations, 346 non-approved projects expecting foreign assistance and 44 projects for implementation under public-private partnership (PPP). When asked about the new Tk 81.14 billion allocations for the state-owned autonomous organisations and corporations in addition to the Tk 658.70 billion ADP outlay in the next FY2013-14, a Planning Commission member told the FE that since those organisations invest funds for the development works those should be included in the government's development budget. The state-owned autonomous bodies and corporations undertake some projects at their own earnings and implement those with the approval of their boards and mother ministries. Some of the projects are also implemented by the funds from the government which need approval of the Planning Commission or the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). For the first time, the government is going to add the expenditure of the state-owned autonomous bodies and corporations from their own income for implementing the development works in the upcoming development budget.