PM seeks PPP for big infrastructure investment
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
FE Report
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday urged private investors to partner with the government to build big infrastructure facilities like flyovers, as public finances are in short supply.
"I request you (private sector) to come forward to supplementing our efforts to develop modern infrastructure," she said while inaugurating the construction of Gulistan-Jatrabari Flyover.
The Prime Minister's call comes at a time when the proposed flyover project is set to become the country's first road transport project to be built under the government's much-vaunted Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
With four lanes, the 9.0-kilometres-long flyover will be constructed at a cost of Tk 13.32 billion and the authorities would follow the BOOT (build-own-operate and transfer) scheme after a concession agreement signed between Belhasa Accom and Associates Ltd and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).
"Despite huge cost involvement, we'll continue to spend on elevated expressway and subway as scopes are limited to expand city roads horizontally right now," she told the opening function at Golapbagh.
The Prime Minister, while laying the foundation stone of the flyover at the Jatrabari point, urged the implementing agencies to execute the project according to its deadline-by 2012.
Sheikh Hasina said her government would also construct elevated expressway, subway, circular ways and waterways in and around the capital city to ease its perennial traffic congestion.
"It's an encouraging news. This facility will significantly cut the city's traffic logjam," she said.
The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to bring some changes in the present design of the flyover and expand it from Polashi in the north to Matuail in the south so that it could be connected with the Mawa, Sylhet and Chittagong-bound highways in future.
Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government, which was in power during 1998-99, had initiated the process of constructing a flyover in Jatrabari in the light of Integrated Transport Study (DITS).
The Prime Minister proposed to name the flyover after Mohammad Hanif, the first elected mayor of the Dhaka Corporation (DCC), in recognition of his contribution to the development of the world's fastest-growing mega city.
But she said the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, after coming to power in 2001, put an ice on the plan to build the flyover, even though a study was carried out for it back in 2000.
Referring to a series of programmes undertaken by the present government in the road communications sector, Sheikh Hasina said the government is working relentlessly for the development of the country's transport system.
She said the work on constructing the much-awaited Padma Bridge is progressing fast and initial steps have been taken to build the 2nd Padma Bridge.
She noted, the government has also undertaken projects to construct the elevated expressway in Dhaka while steps have been taken to construct Dhaka-Chittagong expressway and Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane roads to facilitate smooth movement of people and goods.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday urged private investors to partner with the government to build big infrastructure facilities like flyovers, as public finances are in short supply.
"I request you (private sector) to come forward to supplementing our efforts to develop modern infrastructure," she said while inaugurating the construction of Gulistan-Jatrabari Flyover.
The Prime Minister's call comes at a time when the proposed flyover project is set to become the country's first road transport project to be built under the government's much-vaunted Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
With four lanes, the 9.0-kilometres-long flyover will be constructed at a cost of Tk 13.32 billion and the authorities would follow the BOOT (build-own-operate and transfer) scheme after a concession agreement signed between Belhasa Accom and Associates Ltd and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).
"Despite huge cost involvement, we'll continue to spend on elevated expressway and subway as scopes are limited to expand city roads horizontally right now," she told the opening function at Golapbagh.
The Prime Minister, while laying the foundation stone of the flyover at the Jatrabari point, urged the implementing agencies to execute the project according to its deadline-by 2012.
Sheikh Hasina said her government would also construct elevated expressway, subway, circular ways and waterways in and around the capital city to ease its perennial traffic congestion.
"It's an encouraging news. This facility will significantly cut the city's traffic logjam," she said.
The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to bring some changes in the present design of the flyover and expand it from Polashi in the north to Matuail in the south so that it could be connected with the Mawa, Sylhet and Chittagong-bound highways in future.
Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government, which was in power during 1998-99, had initiated the process of constructing a flyover in Jatrabari in the light of Integrated Transport Study (DITS).
The Prime Minister proposed to name the flyover after Mohammad Hanif, the first elected mayor of the Dhaka Corporation (DCC), in recognition of his contribution to the development of the world's fastest-growing mega city.
But she said the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, after coming to power in 2001, put an ice on the plan to build the flyover, even though a study was carried out for it back in 2000.
Referring to a series of programmes undertaken by the present government in the road communications sector, Sheikh Hasina said the government is working relentlessly for the development of the country's transport system.
She said the work on constructing the much-awaited Padma Bridge is progressing fast and initial steps have been taken to build the 2nd Padma Bridge.
She noted, the government has also undertaken projects to construct the elevated expressway in Dhaka while steps have been taken to construct Dhaka-Chittagong expressway and Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane roads to facilitate smooth movement of people and goods.