Govt okays Tk 5.25b projects from climate change fund
Syful Islam | Monday, 7 March 2011
Syful Islam
The government has so far approved 44 projects of public sector and 53 of non-government organisation (NGO) sector, costing a total of Tk 5.25 billion, out of its jurisdiction of spending Tk 8.20 billion from the Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF), official sources said. "We are following 'go slow' policy since it's a very sensitive issue. We are spending money from revenue sector. None of the countries, affected by climate change, is doing such a thing," a top official of the Climate Change Unit (CCU) under the Ministry of Environment told the FE. "But we are doing it, taking into consideration the possible devastating impact of climate change, as stated in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)," he said. The official said three committees - sub-committee, technical committee and trustee board - are scrutinising the projects, before giving final approval. "Any mistake in spending our own money can create a negative impression about the country to the developed nations, from whom we are expecting a large amount of money as compensation," he said. The CCU received 3,623 project proposals last year from NGOs and 289 proposals from the government departments, seeking support from the climate fund. Of the proposals, Tk 4.87 billion has been allocated in favour of 44 government projects, Tk 0.21 billion for a solar power project for army headquarters, and Tk 0.16 billion for 32 NGO projects. Besides, some 21 projects, costing Tk 0.5 billion, are approved in principle and waiting for final approval. The CCU had Tk 8.20 billion for spending from the total budgetary (fiscal 2009-10 and fiscal 2010-11) allocations of Tk 14.0 billion. Of the budgetary allocations, Tk 5.79 billion was kept as fixed deposit, according to the Climate Change Trust Act 2010.
The government has so far approved 44 projects of public sector and 53 of non-government organisation (NGO) sector, costing a total of Tk 5.25 billion, out of its jurisdiction of spending Tk 8.20 billion from the Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF), official sources said. "We are following 'go slow' policy since it's a very sensitive issue. We are spending money from revenue sector. None of the countries, affected by climate change, is doing such a thing," a top official of the Climate Change Unit (CCU) under the Ministry of Environment told the FE. "But we are doing it, taking into consideration the possible devastating impact of climate change, as stated in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)," he said. The official said three committees - sub-committee, technical committee and trustee board - are scrutinising the projects, before giving final approval. "Any mistake in spending our own money can create a negative impression about the country to the developed nations, from whom we are expecting a large amount of money as compensation," he said. The CCU received 3,623 project proposals last year from NGOs and 289 proposals from the government departments, seeking support from the climate fund. Of the proposals, Tk 4.87 billion has been allocated in favour of 44 government projects, Tk 0.21 billion for a solar power project for army headquarters, and Tk 0.16 billion for 32 NGO projects. Besides, some 21 projects, costing Tk 0.5 billion, are approved in principle and waiting for final approval. The CCU had Tk 8.20 billion for spending from the total budgetary (fiscal 2009-10 and fiscal 2010-11) allocations of Tk 14.0 billion. Of the budgetary allocations, Tk 5.79 billion was kept as fixed deposit, according to the Climate Change Trust Act 2010.