UNDP charges 'exorbitant' service fee

FE Team | Published: September 04, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE ReportbrThe government has been forced to take a costly aid from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which is charging seven per cent service fee for procuring translucent ballot boxes, officials said.brThe UNDP is giving US$6.16 million fund to the Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh for procuring ballot boxes. It is charging 7.0 per cent as global service fee for providing the fund, an official in the finance ministry said.brHe said the CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) -- is providing the fund as grant to the UNDP for giving those to the EC in Bangladesh under a project titled Translucent ballot boxes project for procuring the boxes to be used in next elections. brTo this effect, an agreement between the Economic Relations Division, the EC and the UNDP was signed in June last year.brThe UNDP will supply 240,000 ballot boxes after procuring those from the international markets by October this year with a view to holding the next elections in a transparent manner.brThe donor agency few moths back started ballot box procurement activities from the international markets. First shipment of the ballot boxes will reach the Chittagong port in early this month, a spokesman in the EC said Wednesday.brA spokesman in the UNDP said CIDA is giving us the fund as grant to use those for procurement of translucent ballot boxes for the election commission. We will procure the ballot boxes from the international market. And we will take a service fee for it.brThe spokesman failed to confirm the exact rate of their service fee saying, it is a nominal amount. brThe finance ministry official said Every donor supplies grant without charging any fees. Even for the loan, the donor agencies charges 0.01 per cent to 4.5 per cent interest rate for their loans to the government. But the UNDP is charging 7.0 per cent service fee for its assistance. brThe EC would have to spend total $4.08 million to procure 240,000 ballot boxes. The prices for each of the translucent ballot boxes will be $17. brThe use of translucent ballot boxes is a major demand by the political parties in Bangladesh for holding free and fair elections. brWith the postponement of the controversial parliamentary election of January 2007 a new EC was formed with the mandate to hold a free, fair and transparent national election.brThere is no donor agency or country in the world which charges a fee as high as 7.0 per cent for a loan. But the UNDP is charging 7.0 per cent as service charge against its assistance, the finance ministry official said.brHe said, The EC could procure the ballot boxes through international tender. But the UNDP has attached the condition that it will procure the ballot boxes from the international market and then it will deliver the same to the EC.brUnder the Translucent ballot boxes project, 240,000 pieces of translucent ballot boxes including seals will be procured, field workers will be trained and public information campaign will be conducted.brThe election commission will implement the project by April 30, 2009.br