The shipping ministry is seeking a reduced budget for development projects in the next fiscal year compared to the current one, officials said.
In the FY25 budget, the actual allocation for the departments and agencies under the ministry to do development work is Tk 103.73 billion.
However, for the coming fiscal year, the ministry recently placed its demand to the Finance Division seeking Tk 99.43 billion.
With the sum, the departments and agencies under the ministry will take forward some 28 projects and programmes in the new fiscal year.
A senior ministry official told The Financial Express some five projects will be completed in the current fiscal year and those would not need money in FY26.
Also, he said, some projects are at the final stage and the money required for those is comparatively lower.
"We are curtailing some projects because they are found to be not feasible in that changed period and not very important either," the official said, adding the government has directed to prioritise the projects that can generate revenue and avoid the unnecessary ones.
He also said the development budget ceiling for the shipping ministry for the next fiscal year is Tk 110 billion. "But we are now unable to take the entire money."
In its proposal, the ministry sought an allocation for carrying out maintenance dredging in the Karnaphuli River channel to help larger ships reach the Chittagong port jetties.
Also, in the next fiscal year, the port authorities want to build yard to enhance container storage and handling capacity and also collect 104 pieces of equipment for the country's prime seaport.
Moreover, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) wants to build a heavy lift cargo jetty with backward facilities and complete the Matarbari deep-sea port with the next fiscal's budgetary allocation.
In FY26, capital and maintenance dredging will be carried out in the Mongla port channel, infrastructural development will be implemented, and a trailing suction hopper dredger and two cutter suction dredgers will be collected for the port.
Dredging will also be carried out in the Payra seaport to maintain navigability and the port's capability will be enhanced. The authorities plan to start operations at the jetty and yard in the first terminal of the port in the next fiscal year with the budgetary allocation, the proposal mentioned.
Bangladesh Land Port Authority wants to carry out infrastructural development, modernise the land ports, and enhance operational mobility with the next fiscal year's budgetary allocation.
Also next year, the ministry will give allocation for the construction of inland container and bulk terminal at Khanpur in Narayanganj.
The implementation of Maritime Single Window, setting up additional marine court for quick disposal of cases, capital and maintenance dredging for ensuring navigability in inland waterways, and conducting hydrographic surveys in inland and coastal waterways, among others, are in the development plan of the ministry for the next fiscal year.
syful-islam@outlook.com
