Inter-ministerial meeting on Padma Bridge today
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
FE Report
An inter-ministerial meeting will be held today (Tuesday) to discuss the conditions of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and strategies of loan negotiation with the multilateral capital donor for preparing a detailed design of the Padma Bridge.
The multilateral donor has assured government to provide US$17.6 million loan for the detailed design of the country's proposed longest bridge Padma that will be constructed at Mawa-Janjira point on the Padma river.
The ADB earlier asked government to give it the authority to appoint consultant for preparing the detailed design before construction of the Tk 101.6175 billion ($1.46 billion) Padma Bridge, Communications Ministry sources said.
The sources said the Manila-based lender has already started the process of selection of the consultant through an international bidding.
The selection of design consultant by the ADB itself earlier created a dilemma when the ministry of communications expressed its unwillingness to give authority to the donor as it is contrary to the existing policy, particularly the Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) 2003, sources in the ministry said.
Following the ADB's insistence, the government directed both the communications ministry and the ERD last month to seek "PPR 2003 waiver". The Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has the authority to waive PPR 2003 provisions, sources said.
A senior finance ministry official Monday told the FE that main purpose of the Tuesday's inter-ministerial meeting was to discuss about how the government would negotiate with the ADB for the proposed $17.6 million loan for preparing the detailed design of the Padma Bridge.
Senior officials of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the ministry of communications, the ministry of finance, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) will attend the meeting.
An inter-ministerial meeting will be held today (Tuesday) to discuss the conditions of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and strategies of loan negotiation with the multilateral capital donor for preparing a detailed design of the Padma Bridge.
The multilateral donor has assured government to provide US$17.6 million loan for the detailed design of the country's proposed longest bridge Padma that will be constructed at Mawa-Janjira point on the Padma river.
The ADB earlier asked government to give it the authority to appoint consultant for preparing the detailed design before construction of the Tk 101.6175 billion ($1.46 billion) Padma Bridge, Communications Ministry sources said.
The sources said the Manila-based lender has already started the process of selection of the consultant through an international bidding.
The selection of design consultant by the ADB itself earlier created a dilemma when the ministry of communications expressed its unwillingness to give authority to the donor as it is contrary to the existing policy, particularly the Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) 2003, sources in the ministry said.
Following the ADB's insistence, the government directed both the communications ministry and the ERD last month to seek "PPR 2003 waiver". The Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has the authority to waive PPR 2003 provisions, sources said.
A senior finance ministry official Monday told the FE that main purpose of the Tuesday's inter-ministerial meeting was to discuss about how the government would negotiate with the ADB for the proposed $17.6 million loan for preparing the detailed design of the Padma Bridge.
Senior officials of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the ministry of communications, the ministry of finance, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) will attend the meeting.