Business Desk :
The National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday approved a Tk 2.25324 trillion original Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year (FY22) putting the highest priority to the transport and communication sector.
The approval came from a meeting of the NEC held with NEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The Premier joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence while ministers, state ministers, secretaries concerned and planning commission members joined the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and the Cabinet Room at Bangladesh Secretariat.
Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Planning Minister MA Mannan informed that the meeting also approved an allocation of Tk 114.6895 billion (Tk 11,468.95 crore) for the autonomous bodies or corporations.
Incorporating the allocation of the autonomous bodies and corporations, the size of the overall ADP for the next fiscal year stood at Tk 2.36793 trillion (Tk 2,36,793.09 crore).
Out of the original ADP size of Tk 2.25324 trillion (Tk 2,25,324.14 crore), 2,25,324.14 trillion (Tk 1,37,299.91 crore) will come from the domestic sources while the rest of Tk 880.2423 billion (Tk 88,024.23 crore) from the foreign sources.
The new ADP for fiscal year (FY22) witnesses a total of 1,426 projects including 1,308 investment projects and 118 technical assistance projects. Incorporating 89 projects against the autonomous bodies or corporations, the total number of projects stood at 1,515.
A total of 596 unapproved new projects have been incorporated in the new ADP without any allocation while some 141 new unapproved projects have been included in the new ADP subject to availability of foreign funds.
There are 88 projects to be implemented under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative while some 356 projects have been kept for completion by June 30, 2022.
Besides, some 73 projects which were kept for completion by June this year have been carry forwarded for completion by the next fiscal year (FY22).
The planning minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to complete those projects with highest priority which could not be completed due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic as well as to complete those projects speedily which are linked with the wellbeing of common people.
Mannan said the Premier also put emphasis on conducting more researches adding that separate fund should be earmarked for conducting researches especially in the health and agriculture sector.
He said the Prime Minister noted that the foreign consultants in development projects should be welcomed to such extent which is necessary, but foreign consultants should not be allowed in wholesale way. Rather, those overseas consultants should have to be recruited after proper scrutiny.
The Planning Minister said the economy of Bangladesh is performing well despite the shock of the pandemic due to the good performances in the agriculture sector and also for the domestic labour and the hard-earned remittances being sent by the expatriate Bangladeshis.
Referring to the recent attainment of $2,227 per capita income, Mannan said the per capita income has witnessed a jump of 9 percent despite the pandemic and this shows the resilience of the domestic economy.
He also informed that the current size of the country’s GDP is Taka 30,111 billion or $355.04 billion.
Answering to a question, the planning minister said the Ministry of Health has attained good capacity over the years in implementing development projects.
He said although there was a bit sloth in the operations of the Health Ministry when the COVID-19 hit the country last year, but it got momentum in its operations and subsequently made a pick up within the next one or two months after the attack of the pandemic.
“The death rate in Bangladesh due to COVID-19 is still much less compared to many developed countries of the world,” Mannan observed.
Replying to another question, he said the government wants to share those information with the public through media if those are not classified, reports BSS.
