Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Policy implementation warrants flow of external financial resources. Mentionable is the fact that least developed countries look to donors for aid commitments for the proper implementation of its development policies in scores of substantive areas or sectors/sub-sectors. For its deficit financing would merely mean a grandiose scheme unless it is backed by adequate external aids. But any sharp fall in donors’ commitments may render it difficult for the aid recipients to carry forward its development intervention in many a mega project like construction of bridge and other infrastructures.
Recently sharp fall in foreign aid commitments has caused much trepidation among policy makers in Bangladesh as major donors like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank were cautious in lending to Bangladesh.
According to data of the Economic Relations Division (ERD)’ during the July-January period of the current fiscal all the donors committed US$ 2.29 billion in grants and loans, lower by $1.71 billion than that of the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
A senior ERD official said, “We received fresh aid commitments involving more than $ 4.0 billion in the July-Jan period of last fiscal. But in the first seven months of this fiscal the aid commitments have come down below the $ 3.0 billion mark.” Since the government agencies had been able to spend the project assistance portion of funds for development projects, the overall aid disbursements were higher during the period under review than in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Two major development partners — the ADB and Japan — played a key role in shoring up the aid disbursements in the first seven months of the current fiscal. Major donors like the World Bank, ADB, Department for International Development (DfID) and Japan were cautious in making fresh aid commitments for Bangladesh after the alleged Padma Bridge graft conspiracy,” “We received fresh aid commitments involving more than $ 4.0 billion in the July-Jan period of last fiscal. But in the first seven months of this fiscal the aid commitments have come down below the $ 3.0 billion mark.” The official said since the government agencies had been able to spend the project assistance portion of funds for development projects, the overall aid disbursements were higher during the period under review than in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.'(Humayan Kabir, 25th February, 2014)
We apprehend all our on-going infrastructural development projects will suffer a tremendous set back in the event of either withdrawal of alids from the major donors or reduction in aid commitments.
There were sky high popular expectations with a seemingly robust scheme of shaping the destinies of the masses. The projected programme of goals will turn into a dead letter as things remain at the stage of implementation. Even then there is a dream like “by the year 2021 Bangladesh will attain a tremendous economic growth bolstered by a spectacular technological advancement and ‘new heights of excellence’ in ICT. The objectives to be achieved include: stable price index, minimizing income and human poverty, health and education for all, enhanced capacity building combined with creativity, social justice, reduced social disparity, democracy firmly rooted and capacity to tackle the adverse effects of climate change.”
The country is now at crossroads. It is uncertain of its destination amid a score of insurmountable challenges. Such challenges are not difficult to combat if there is no national disunity. Political divide appears to be great threat to the desirable social transformation. Over passage of time violence and vandalism increased to deter normal political development. This phenomenon strikes at the concept of unity -thanks to the politicians for locking us into two hostile camps concerning much about ideology than about human welfare. The country by now has returned to normalcy after violence wrecked havoc for a couple of years.
The people cannot pin hopes on lofty goals of the populist politicians. They might have expected that independence or liberation would feed them in milk and honey. But the politicians and administrative elites had enjoyed much of honey and milk deriving the masses. The masses have been enmeshed into illusion trap. The situation exploits the myth of democracy as the politicized actors divert their attention to the basic problem of life by nourishing sentimental beliefs about values.
At this stage, the challenge will be mounting to add to popular frustration if government turns a deaf ear to the burning issues of development and fail to fulfill commitments following a sharp reduction in aids commitments The government was held responsible for incompetence and inefficiency to handle the issue. Also responsible is wobbling diplomacy. It is now incumbent upon the government to move forward to make sure that every phase of implementation of the major programs under public-private partnership is smartly done. It must comply with WB’s measures that include; appointing a special inquiry and prosecution team within the ACC to handle the investigation and providing access to all investigative material to an external panel of internationally recognised experts that will provide the government, WB and its co-financiers with necessary oversight on project procurement procedures. What ought to be remembered that such stringent measures are not specific to Bangladesh. Rather they are internationally accepted practices that ensure good governance and are a safeguard against potential graft.’
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University.)
