High-powered body formed to cut wasteful dev spending

The government has formed a high-powered committee to review the ongoing projects under the development budget, aiming to cut wasteful expenditures and ensure proper utilisation of public funds.

The committee was formed at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday in a bid to check the wastage of tax money, said Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

"Under the directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, a special committee has been formed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing development projects, aiming to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure alignment with the national interest," the minister said.

"Prime Minister's Adviser on the Ministry of Finance and Planning Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir is the convener of the committee. The committee will review projects that have been delayed for long periods or have seen repeated cost hikes. This clearing of the balance sheet is essential to fulfill promises made to the citizens," he told newsmen after the ECNEC meeting.

Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman-led government revised five ongoing projects at the first ECNEC meeting on Monday at the Secretariat in Dhaka.

While the Planning Commission placed 19 projects before the ECNEC for consideration, the committee reviewed seven proposals and finally gave approval to five projects and sent back two others for further review.

The ECNEC endorsed five development projects at a combined cost of Tk 4.83 billion.

Of the total cost, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) will provide Tk 3.91 billion from its internal resources, while Tk 925.9 million will be sourced through project loans. Among the approved projects, three got revisions and two others received time extensions.

The major approved projects are: the Universal Social Infrastructure Development Project-2 (1st revision) of the LGED with raising the cost by Tk 3.68 billion, Char Development and Settlement Project-4 (DPHE component) (3rd Revision) enhancing the cost by Tk 34.83 million, IT Training & Incubation Center (2nd Revision) of the HighTech Park Authority with the cost increasing by Tk 2.288 billion, Diagnostic Imaging Modernization: Modernizing facilities in eight divisional medical college hospitals to improve maternal and child health (2nd revision) project with the cost raising by Tk1.188 billion, and the Setting up of Gopalganj Dental College & Hospital (2nd Revision) project with its cost hiking by Tk264.9 million.

The meeting was largely attended by the newly cabinet members, including Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, and Road Transport, Railways, and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam.

Senior government officials were also present at the meeting.