Govt, ADB to ink $200m deal today for urban infrastructure development

The government is set to sign a USD 200 million agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund a project for strengthening urban governance and improve urban infrastructures and service delivery in municipalities across the country.
A BSS report quoting a press release said Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Kazi Shofiqul Azam and ADB Country Director Kazuhiko Higuchi are expected to sign the agreement today (Tuesday) on behalf of their respective sides at the NEC-II Conference Room at the ERD in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
After the successful implementation of earlier phases, the project titled "Third Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement (Sector) Project (UGIIP-3)-Additional Financing" will provide investment funds to 35 pourasavas based on their governance performance.
"The ADB fund will develop the pourasavas with high growth potential in an integrated and holistic way - both in terms of governance and infrastructure aimed at making them model towns of the country," an Economic Relations Division (ERD) official told the news agency.
The ADB will provide the loan to develop urban roads in addition to traffic management and ensuring water, other urban infrastructures as well as services of pourasavas for environmentally-sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The urban services include urban flood protection, urban policy, institutional and capacity development, urban sanitation, urban slum development, urban solid waste management and urban water supply.
In the government's Seventh Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), urban development is a national priority to reduce urban poverty and improve living conditions through better city governance and service improvement.