787 fresh non-approved projects in next ADP
Saturday, 5 June 2010
FHM Humayan Kabir
The government in the next annual development programme (ADP) included 787 fresh projects without approval and providing funds which development experts said would create scope for 'misappropriation of public investment'.
The government's highest policy making body -- National Economic Council (NEC)-- on May 25 approved Tk 385 billion development budget for improving the country's ailing infrastructure and social sectors.
Planning commission officials said in addition to 910 approved and non-approved projects with fund allocation in the upcoming ADP, the NEC has endorsed 787 fresh projects, more than double the number in the outgoing financial year 2009-10.
In the original ADP of the outgoing financial year 2009-10, the government included 346 fresh projects without approval and without fund allocation.
Similarly, the original ADP in the previous fiscal 2008-09 included 407 development schemes without approval, but with fund allotment.
"Huge numbers of fresh schemes mean possibility of massive misuse of the public funds," a top planning commission official told the FE.
Former finance and planning adviser to the last caretaker government Dr Mirza Azizul Islam told the FE that usually the fresh projects are included mostly on political pressure.
"The projects without any prior feasibility study would not be viable. In most of the cases implementation and quality are not ensured in right manner," he said.
Dr Islam said despite a very big and ambitious ADP for the 2010-11 fiscal, the non-approved fresh projects without allocation would create scope of fund misappropriation.
Development expert Zaid Bakth said: "In the last half of the fiscal year, some fresh projects will be approved. Then the government has to allocate money against those schemes which will be difficult for fiscal management."
"In most of the cases, the government is forced to distribute some money to those newly approved projects. Then the ongoing schemes face fund shortage within the project tenure resulting in delay in execution," he told the FE.
Mr Bakth said, of late the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) "has become almost dysfunctional, which will also fail to check misappropriation of public funds".
The development experts said the government should lay more concentration on implementing the ongoing projects instead of undertaking 'useless fresh projects'.
The government in the proposed ADP budget for FY2011 has earmarked record Tk 39.27 billion as "block allocations", which experts said has high possibility of being misused.
Development analysts said such huge allocations have possibility of undertaking non-productive projects under political considerations and creating scope of misuse of funds.
Planning commission officials said they have allocated Tk 28.47 billion as 'development support' fund, 7.4 per cent of the proposed Tk 385 billion ADP outlay, and Tk 10.79 billion for non-approved projects, 2.80 per cent of the total development budget amount.
Out of Tk 28.47 billion block allocations, Tk 16.40 billion has been set aside as 'development support for special requirements' and Tk 12.07 billion as 'development support' fund in the ADP of 2010-11 fiscal.
The government in the next annual development programme (ADP) included 787 fresh projects without approval and providing funds which development experts said would create scope for 'misappropriation of public investment'.
The government's highest policy making body -- National Economic Council (NEC)-- on May 25 approved Tk 385 billion development budget for improving the country's ailing infrastructure and social sectors.
Planning commission officials said in addition to 910 approved and non-approved projects with fund allocation in the upcoming ADP, the NEC has endorsed 787 fresh projects, more than double the number in the outgoing financial year 2009-10.
In the original ADP of the outgoing financial year 2009-10, the government included 346 fresh projects without approval and without fund allocation.
Similarly, the original ADP in the previous fiscal 2008-09 included 407 development schemes without approval, but with fund allotment.
"Huge numbers of fresh schemes mean possibility of massive misuse of the public funds," a top planning commission official told the FE.
Former finance and planning adviser to the last caretaker government Dr Mirza Azizul Islam told the FE that usually the fresh projects are included mostly on political pressure.
"The projects without any prior feasibility study would not be viable. In most of the cases implementation and quality are not ensured in right manner," he said.
Dr Islam said despite a very big and ambitious ADP for the 2010-11 fiscal, the non-approved fresh projects without allocation would create scope of fund misappropriation.
Development expert Zaid Bakth said: "In the last half of the fiscal year, some fresh projects will be approved. Then the government has to allocate money against those schemes which will be difficult for fiscal management."
"In most of the cases, the government is forced to distribute some money to those newly approved projects. Then the ongoing schemes face fund shortage within the project tenure resulting in delay in execution," he told the FE.
Mr Bakth said, of late the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) "has become almost dysfunctional, which will also fail to check misappropriation of public funds".
The development experts said the government should lay more concentration on implementing the ongoing projects instead of undertaking 'useless fresh projects'.
The government in the proposed ADP budget for FY2011 has earmarked record Tk 39.27 billion as "block allocations", which experts said has high possibility of being misused.
Development analysts said such huge allocations have possibility of undertaking non-productive projects under political considerations and creating scope of misuse of funds.
Planning commission officials said they have allocated Tk 28.47 billion as 'development support' fund, 7.4 per cent of the proposed Tk 385 billion ADP outlay, and Tk 10.79 billion for non-approved projects, 2.80 per cent of the total development budget amount.
Out of Tk 28.47 billion block allocations, Tk 16.40 billion has been set aside as 'development support for special requirements' and Tk 12.07 billion as 'development support' fund in the ADP of 2010-11 fiscal.