ADB to review status of its funded projects in BD

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will review next Thursday the status of the projects funded by it in Bangladesh.
The review is aimed to detect obstacles in project implementation, find ways to overcome those and ensure accountability in the use of its assistance, officials said Monday.
"We will sit with the government's implementing agencies to see the progress of the 54 bank-funded projects and find out effective ways for their better implementation," said Govinda Bar, Head of the External Affairs in the ADB's Dhaka office.
The ADB is committed to make available $5.67 billion for the projects to be reviewed next Thursday.
The Economic Relations Division Secretary (ERD) would organise a tripartite meeting to be attended by officials of the ERD, directors of the ADB-funded projects and officials from the ADB's Dhaka office at the portfolio review meeting in the capital.
The ADB's average annual aid commitment to Bangladesh in recent years amounted to over $900 million.
The ADB official said the tripartite meeting is expected to be very important as both the sides would find out ways to overcome the obstacles, if any, to smooth execution of the projects.
In most cases, procurement process eats up much time of the project's tenure creating delay in the completion of the entire works, he said adding they are hopeful of overcoming the problems.
A senior ERD official said the ADB is critical about the start-up delays in different projects and procrastination on project preparation and approval process and impediment to procurement process.
"Since many projects in Bangladesh take time for getting approval from the authorities, it creates impediment in procurement and causes start-up delays in their implementation. The ADB in the last review meeting asked the agencies to quicken the process," he said.
Earlier Bangladesh came under close scrutiny of the multilateral and bilateral donors after the alleged Padma Bridge scam where four lenders-the World Bank (WB), the ADB, the Japanese government and the Islamic Development Bank made commitment of funding.
The WB had already included a 'governance' clause in projects it finances in Bangladesh after the Padma Bridge graft allegations to ensure transparency and accountability in use of its fund in Bangladesh.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had also laid emphasis on transparent and accountable use of its assistance in Bangladesh.