The transportation and communications sector was given top emphasis in the TK 2,16,000 crore Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) agreed by the National Economic Council (NEC) today for the current fiscal year (FY25).
The clearance resulted from a meeting of the NEC today, which was chaired by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser and chairperson of the NEC, at the NEC Conference Room in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar neighborhood of the city.
TK 2,65,000 crore was the initial ADP expenditure for the current fiscal year. During the current fiscal year, the RADP allocation decreased by TK 49,000 crore, or 18.49 percent.
The government of Bangladesh would contribute TK 1,35,000 crore of the RADP budget of TK 2,16,000 crore, with the remaining TK 81,000 crore coming from project loans or grants.
The total RADP expenditure, however, was TK 2,26,126.29 crore after deducting TK 10,126.29 crore from the relevant organization’s own funds.
Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud told reporters following the meeting that they will now attempt to accelerate the RADP’s implementation.
He claimed that during the day’s NEC meeting, the Chief Adviser also mentioned that stability has nearly returned and that the amended ADP’s implementation pace might be accelerated even more.
Regarding the ADP’s implementation rate from July to January of the current fiscal year (FY25), the Planning Adviser stated that, despite the utilization rate during this time in prior fiscal years averaging 30%, the implementation rate during this period was close to 22%, or precisely 21.52 percent.
He stated that in order to accelerate the implementation rate even more, the relevant ministries, divisions, and implementing agencies would make every effort.
Dr. Mahmud added that in the days ahead, they will seek to increase the transparency of the task’s tendering process.
He stated that more physicians and nurses should be hired in the health sector and that they should receive more training, placing greater emphasis on the education and health sectors.
The RADP budget for eight of the 57 ministries and divisions increased by 17.28 percent, while the amount for the other 49 ministries and divisions decreased by 28.71 percent.
Out of the 1437 projects with allocations in the RADP, some 1212 are investment projects, some 28 are survey projects, some 112 are technical assistance projects while 85 are from own financing. Besides, some 313 projects have been kept for completion in the current fiscal year.
Of the highest allocation recipient five sectors, the transport and communication sector received the highest allocation of TK 48,253.01 crore (22.34%), followed by Power and Energy Sector with TK 31,897.61 crore (14.77%), Education sector TK 20,349.89 crore (9.42%), Housing and community facilities TK 19,653.05 crore (9.09%), and Local Government and Rural Development TK 16,909.48 crore (7.83%).
Out of the highest allocated 10 ministries and divisions, the Local Government Division received an allocation of TK 36,158.96 crore (16.74%), followed by Power Division with TK 21,475.11 crore (9.94%), Road Transport and Highways Division TK 18,624.61 crore (8.62%), Primary and Mass Education TK 12,764.01 crore (5.91%), Science and Technology TK 12,129.63 crore (5.62%), Ministry of Railways TK 10,227.61 crore (4.74%), Ministry of Water Resources TK 10,211.72 crore (4.73%), Ministry of Shipping TK 7,153.70 crore (3.31%), Bridges Division TK 5,848.54 crore (2.71%) and Health Services Division TK 5,668.82 crore (2.62%).
About 232 projects have been retained for implementation under the Climate Change Trust Fund, while about 78 projects have been retained for implementation under the PPP initiative in the current fiscal year’s RADP.
