ADP execution continues to be poor this fiscal
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
FHM Humayan Kabir
The government spent 49 per cent of the annual development outlay in the first nine months of the current fiscal as the performance of big spenders -- communications and water resources ministries -- was dismally poor, officials said Tuesday. Planning ministry officials said the ministries and agencies spent Tk173.36 billion during July to March period of the current fiscal (2010-11) out of its Tk351.30 billion outlay in the annual development programme. "The government released Tk 202.90 billion between July and March of the current fiscal but Tk 173.35 billion could be spent," a senior planning ministry official said. cent and 35 per cent of their respective allocations in the ADP during the period, he added. The official said though the implementation of the ADP in first three quarters of the current fiscal is one percentage point higher than that of the same period last financial year 2009-10, the execution target has not been fulfilled. The government framed an "ambitious" Tk 385 billion development budget for the FY2011 to execute 916 projects in order to build up country's poor infrastructure and improve the socio-economic status of the people. But the poor rate of project execution until March of the current fiscal forced the planning commission to cut the size of the development budget by Tk 33.70 billion to Tk 351.30 billion. "It's very unfortunate and also shameful for us. The government agencies have failed to invest even half of the development budget in nine months. How long we will allow such inefficiency?" a top planning commission official told the FE. "The present government took a number of measures including issuance of circulars and review of projects from time to time for speeding up the implementation process. But all have gone in vain," the official said. Among the 10 big ministries and divisions, which get nearly 80 per cent of total ADP budget allocation, three to four performed poorly which affected the overall project implementation this year, the commission official said. "The third largest development budget spender, communications ministry, spent only 34 per cent of its Tk 35.08 billion outlay. How you can expect improvement of infrastructure development and the public fund investment," he questioned. Besides, the Bridge Division has spent only Tk 2.42 billion, 22 per cent in three quarters from its total Tk 11.06 billion allocations for the current ADP. The water resources ministry has spent Tk 4.93 billion or 35 per cent, of its Tk 14.05 billion ADP outlay. Before election, the ruling Awami League pledged to ensure the maximum and quality utilisation of the public funds to facilitate the country's development and achieve a double-digit growth within a decade.
The government spent 49 per cent of the annual development outlay in the first nine months of the current fiscal as the performance of big spenders -- communications and water resources ministries -- was dismally poor, officials said Tuesday. Planning ministry officials said the ministries and agencies spent Tk173.36 billion during July to March period of the current fiscal (2010-11) out of its Tk351.30 billion outlay in the annual development programme. "The government released Tk 202.90 billion between July and March of the current fiscal but Tk 173.35 billion could be spent," a senior planning ministry official said. cent and 35 per cent of their respective allocations in the ADP during the period, he added. The official said though the implementation of the ADP in first three quarters of the current fiscal is one percentage point higher than that of the same period last financial year 2009-10, the execution target has not been fulfilled. The government framed an "ambitious" Tk 385 billion development budget for the FY2011 to execute 916 projects in order to build up country's poor infrastructure and improve the socio-economic status of the people. But the poor rate of project execution until March of the current fiscal forced the planning commission to cut the size of the development budget by Tk 33.70 billion to Tk 351.30 billion. "It's very unfortunate and also shameful for us. The government agencies have failed to invest even half of the development budget in nine months. How long we will allow such inefficiency?" a top planning commission official told the FE. "The present government took a number of measures including issuance of circulars and review of projects from time to time for speeding up the implementation process. But all have gone in vain," the official said. Among the 10 big ministries and divisions, which get nearly 80 per cent of total ADP budget allocation, three to four performed poorly which affected the overall project implementation this year, the commission official said. "The third largest development budget spender, communications ministry, spent only 34 per cent of its Tk 35.08 billion outlay. How you can expect improvement of infrastructure development and the public fund investment," he questioned. Besides, the Bridge Division has spent only Tk 2.42 billion, 22 per cent in three quarters from its total Tk 11.06 billion allocations for the current ADP. The water resources ministry has spent Tk 4.93 billion or 35 per cent, of its Tk 14.05 billion ADP outlay. Before election, the ruling Awami League pledged to ensure the maximum and quality utilisation of the public funds to facilitate the country's development and achieve a double-digit growth within a decade.