Government decides to appoint consultant
Saturday, 4 August 2007
FE Report
The government has eventually taken a decision to appoint a consultant for the 300-megawatt (MW) Siddhirganj peaking power plant after about a year since the process started, official sources said.
According to the sources, the Power Division would place the proposals received from intending consultants before the purchase committee meeting for approval.
Finance and Planning Adviser, Mirza Azizul Islam, is expected to preside over the meeting to be held August 5 in Dhaka.
A source in the Power Division said that due to delay in appointing the consultant under the World Bank-funded "Power Sector Development Technical Assistance Project (PSDTAP)", the preparation works for the project had been hampered and this would affect the timely implementation.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based global donor expressed its concern over the government's delay in appointing the consultant for implementing the 300MW Siddhirganj power project, the source said.
The World Bank is providing $15.5 million for the PSDTAP and would also provide around US$265 million fund to the government for setting up the 300MW power plant at Siddhirganj which would enhance electricity supply to the capital.
"As the proposed consultant will help the government's project implementing agency to prepare the bid documents of the Siddhirganj project, review the project documents and also supervise, manage, test and commission the construction work within its project tenure, the delay may hinder smooth project implementation," the Power Division official said.
He added: "The WB-funded PSDTAP period will end in December 2008. If the Siddhirganj power plant is not established within 2008, which is virtually impossible now, the supervision of the construction work will be hampered."
The Power Division Official said that though the WB had given reminder to the government several times to complete the appointment of the consultant for the Siddhirganj power project over the last few months, the concerned authorities in the government had not acted promptly.
Meanwhile, some other public procurement issues would also be placed before the meeting of the purchase committee on August 5.
Sources in the Cabinet Division said that purchase proposals of an airbus (A310-300) by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, rice by the Food and Disaster Ministry and 0.187 million tonnes of fertiliser by the Industries Ministry would also be placed before the purchase committee meeting.
The government has eventually taken a decision to appoint a consultant for the 300-megawatt (MW) Siddhirganj peaking power plant after about a year since the process started, official sources said.
According to the sources, the Power Division would place the proposals received from intending consultants before the purchase committee meeting for approval.
Finance and Planning Adviser, Mirza Azizul Islam, is expected to preside over the meeting to be held August 5 in Dhaka.
A source in the Power Division said that due to delay in appointing the consultant under the World Bank-funded "Power Sector Development Technical Assistance Project (PSDTAP)", the preparation works for the project had been hampered and this would affect the timely implementation.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based global donor expressed its concern over the government's delay in appointing the consultant for implementing the 300MW Siddhirganj power project, the source said.
The World Bank is providing $15.5 million for the PSDTAP and would also provide around US$265 million fund to the government for setting up the 300MW power plant at Siddhirganj which would enhance electricity supply to the capital.
"As the proposed consultant will help the government's project implementing agency to prepare the bid documents of the Siddhirganj project, review the project documents and also supervise, manage, test and commission the construction work within its project tenure, the delay may hinder smooth project implementation," the Power Division official said.
He added: "The WB-funded PSDTAP period will end in December 2008. If the Siddhirganj power plant is not established within 2008, which is virtually impossible now, the supervision of the construction work will be hampered."
The Power Division Official said that though the WB had given reminder to the government several times to complete the appointment of the consultant for the Siddhirganj power project over the last few months, the concerned authorities in the government had not acted promptly.
Meanwhile, some other public procurement issues would also be placed before the meeting of the purchase committee on August 5.
Sources in the Cabinet Division said that purchase proposals of an airbus (A310-300) by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, rice by the Food and Disaster Ministry and 0.187 million tonnes of fertiliser by the Industries Ministry would also be placed before the purchase committee meeting.