Govt, dev partners sign jt cooperation strategy
Thursday, 3 June 2010
FE Report
The government and development partners (DPs) Wednesday signed a five-year joint cooperation strategy (JCS) for effective use of foreign aid and establishment of the national ownership of development programmes.
The JCS for the period of 2010-15 also ensure develop-ment partners' alignment to the government policies, which means the development projects will be developed and owned by Bangladesh and DPs will only provide financial and technical support.
The partnership between the government and its donors will be strengthened by the JCS and it will intensify mutual collaboration to improve aid delivery.
JCS action plan includes joint activities to strengthen the government's aid management capacity, improve public financial management, adopt new programme-based approach and ensure joint monitoring and evaluation activities.
The DPs will align themselves with the government policies, priorities, systems and procedures and further work on aid harmonistaion, based on improved management for results.
"This is a red-letter day for the country as the development partners have recognised the government ownership of the country's development strategy," finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said at a press briefing.
"The government will formulate and develop strategy and policies according to its need and the DPs will support the initiative, and it has been recognised today," he said.
The priority sectors of the government are power and energy, communications and climate change and these are the areas the DPs should come forward with aid to help the country, he added
Mr Muhith, however, said the main challenge of the JCS is to implement the projects.
The minister urged the DPs to provide sector-wise development instead of project-based aid.
Citing advantage of the JCS, he said each DP has its own development policies and it is not possible for Bangladesh to comply with all the rules.
"The benefit of the JCS is that it will minimise the number of policies to be complied by the government as it is a joint initiative by 18 development partners including the top donors," Mr Muhith said.
The development partners alone or in groups can develop the country action plan for Bangladesh to support its development effort, he said.
The government and development partners (DPs) Wednesday signed a five-year joint cooperation strategy (JCS) for effective use of foreign aid and establishment of the national ownership of development programmes.
The JCS for the period of 2010-15 also ensure develop-ment partners' alignment to the government policies, which means the development projects will be developed and owned by Bangladesh and DPs will only provide financial and technical support.
The partnership between the government and its donors will be strengthened by the JCS and it will intensify mutual collaboration to improve aid delivery.
JCS action plan includes joint activities to strengthen the government's aid management capacity, improve public financial management, adopt new programme-based approach and ensure joint monitoring and evaluation activities.
The DPs will align themselves with the government policies, priorities, systems and procedures and further work on aid harmonistaion, based on improved management for results.
"This is a red-letter day for the country as the development partners have recognised the government ownership of the country's development strategy," finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said at a press briefing.
"The government will formulate and develop strategy and policies according to its need and the DPs will support the initiative, and it has been recognised today," he said.
The priority sectors of the government are power and energy, communications and climate change and these are the areas the DPs should come forward with aid to help the country, he added
Mr Muhith, however, said the main challenge of the JCS is to implement the projects.
The minister urged the DPs to provide sector-wise development instead of project-based aid.
Citing advantage of the JCS, he said each DP has its own development policies and it is not possible for Bangladesh to comply with all the rules.
"The benefit of the JCS is that it will minimise the number of policies to be complied by the government as it is a joint initiative by 18 development partners including the top donors," Mr Muhith said.
The development partners alone or in groups can develop the country action plan for Bangladesh to support its development effort, he said.