The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on Monday approved five projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 5,915.99 crore, including one for improving the sewerage system of Chattogram (catchment 2 and 4) with around Tk 5,152.55 crore.
The approvals came from a meeting of the ECNEC with its chairperson and chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus in chair at the NEC conference room in Dhaka鈥檚 Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Of the approved five projects, two are new while three are revised. Of the cost, Tk 1,095.94 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Tk 4,787.50 crore from project assistance while the rest of Tk 32.55 crore from the concerned organisation鈥檚 own fund.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said that time had come then to make some policy adjustments in project implementation aspects.
He said that after assuming office, the interim government had been focusing on making the development projects free from corruption and irregularities, but they would go for speedy implementation of the schemes then.
Wahiduddin Mahmud said that advisers in the meeting had discussed about undertaking some innovative projects in the areas of human resources, education and on those necessary infrastructures.
Citing that the implementation rate of the annual development programme in the first four months (July-October) of the current financial year was low, he hinted that the ADP might be trimmed due to various reasons like the previous years.
Answering to a question, the planning adviser informed that within a day or two all the ministries and divisions would be requested from the planning commission to implement their ongoing projects in a speedy manner shunning corruption and irregularities.
Wahiduddin said that he would also write to the advisers personally about the implementation of the development projects.
He said that at the end of the current financial year, sectors like education might see proportionately higher allocation than other entities especially in the areas of educational equipment, for scientific and research materials and equipment.
The adviser also hoped that if stability was restored in the economy, then private sector entrepreneurs would come in large numbers and thus propel the economy.
The other projects approved in the meeting are extension and strengthening of network of eastern region grid, 1st revised, with an additional cost of Tk 459.95 crore, capacity building of universities in Bangladesh to promote youth entrepreneurs with Tk 93.50 crore, modern waste and released oil removal management of Mongla Port, 1st revised, with an additional cost of Tk 110.15 crore and emergency multi-sector Rohingya Crisis response project, 2nd revised, with an additional cost of Tk 99.84 crore.
Also, the day鈥檚 ECNEC meeting extended the timeframe of two projects without raising their costs.