Bureaucratic tussle for PPP control now over
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Nazmul Ahsan
The long tug of war between the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Board of Investment (BoI) over the control and location of the PPP (public-private partnership) Cell has apparently come to an end.
A high-profile meeting, held recently in the presence of the top officials of the agencies concerned decided to rename the proposed Cell and relocate its office, according to a highly placed source.
The meeting has decided to re-name the PPP Cell as PPP Office, which will be an independent office to be located at a suitable place in the city, other than the premises of PMO or MoF or BoI.
However, the proposed PPP Office will operate under the jurisdiction of PMO and be accountable to the Prime Minister, the meeting also decided. The decisions have been taken at a meeting, held recently at the official residence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
Presided over by Muhith, the meeting was attended by Dr. Moshiur Rahman, Economic Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. SA Samad, Executive Chairman, BoI, MD Abdul Karim, Principal Secretary, PMO and Dr. Mohammed Tarek, Secretary, Finance Division, MoF. The meeting decided to refer a recent report on PPP Guidelines with minor changes to the BOI, which again would send the same to the PMO. The PMO would submit the Guidelines to the Cabinet meeting for approval, after completing the necessary formalities.
"The long tug of war has virtually come to an end as both MoF and BoI are now supportive of the latest development on PPP Guidelines, its office and controlling authority of PPP related activities," a high official in the PMO said.
He said a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) would be the functional head of the proposed PPP Office. The CEO will submit report to the Prime Minister.
Earlier in September 2009, the BOI opposed the draft of PPP Guidelines and its location at the MoF, when the proposals were placed at the cabinet meeting. The Cabinet meeting also asked the BOI to do all relevant works relating to the formulation of the PPP Guidelines and placing the same before the Cabinet meeting.
The BoI prepared the draft PPP Guidelines in March, this year and placed the same to the Cabinet Division for approval. This time the MoF opposed the draft citing a number of anomalies. As a result, the Cabinet Division refrained itself from placing the draft to the Cabinet meeting with the tug of war gaining strength, sources said.
The PMO, with a view to ending the war between the two agencies of the government and removing the anomalies from the BvoI-prepared PPP guidelines formed a committee.
The committee submitted its report in April this year, sources said. "We found the committee report most balanced and scientific as far as definitions of small, medium and large projects under PPP initiative are concerned. The draft guidelines are elaborate and devoid of controversy," a top official in the PMO said.
Experts, however, said the difference over the PPP has already eaten up a lot of time.
The long tug of war between the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Board of Investment (BoI) over the control and location of the PPP (public-private partnership) Cell has apparently come to an end.
A high-profile meeting, held recently in the presence of the top officials of the agencies concerned decided to rename the proposed Cell and relocate its office, according to a highly placed source.
The meeting has decided to re-name the PPP Cell as PPP Office, which will be an independent office to be located at a suitable place in the city, other than the premises of PMO or MoF or BoI.
However, the proposed PPP Office will operate under the jurisdiction of PMO and be accountable to the Prime Minister, the meeting also decided. The decisions have been taken at a meeting, held recently at the official residence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
Presided over by Muhith, the meeting was attended by Dr. Moshiur Rahman, Economic Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. SA Samad, Executive Chairman, BoI, MD Abdul Karim, Principal Secretary, PMO and Dr. Mohammed Tarek, Secretary, Finance Division, MoF. The meeting decided to refer a recent report on PPP Guidelines with minor changes to the BOI, which again would send the same to the PMO. The PMO would submit the Guidelines to the Cabinet meeting for approval, after completing the necessary formalities.
"The long tug of war has virtually come to an end as both MoF and BoI are now supportive of the latest development on PPP Guidelines, its office and controlling authority of PPP related activities," a high official in the PMO said.
He said a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) would be the functional head of the proposed PPP Office. The CEO will submit report to the Prime Minister.
Earlier in September 2009, the BOI opposed the draft of PPP Guidelines and its location at the MoF, when the proposals were placed at the cabinet meeting. The Cabinet meeting also asked the BOI to do all relevant works relating to the formulation of the PPP Guidelines and placing the same before the Cabinet meeting.
The BoI prepared the draft PPP Guidelines in March, this year and placed the same to the Cabinet Division for approval. This time the MoF opposed the draft citing a number of anomalies. As a result, the Cabinet Division refrained itself from placing the draft to the Cabinet meeting with the tug of war gaining strength, sources said.
The PMO, with a view to ending the war between the two agencies of the government and removing the anomalies from the BvoI-prepared PPP guidelines formed a committee.
The committee submitted its report in April this year, sources said. "We found the committee report most balanced and scientific as far as definitions of small, medium and large projects under PPP initiative are concerned. The draft guidelines are elaborate and devoid of controversy," a top official in the PMO said.
Experts, however, said the difference over the PPP has already eaten up a lot of time.