Power sector tops priority

The government has approved a Tk 46,000-crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year with the highest 18 percent allocation for power and energy.
The sector will get Tk 8,286 crore.
The National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the allocation yesterday.
Of the amount, power division will get Tk 7,172 crore, which is 44 percent more than that of the current FY. The sum is Tk 4,994 crore in the current financial year.
Planning Minister AK Khandker told journalists after the meeting that the government gave the highest priority to the sector considering economic growth, the sixth five-year plan and investment.
Fifty-five percent of the ADP will come from internal resources while the rest from foreign aid.
Transport, the second priority sector, will get Tk 7,749 crore which is 16.85 percent of the ADP
The NEC also revised for the second time this year's ADP to Tk 35,830 crore from Tk 38,130 crore. The amount was originally Tk 38,500 crore.
The additional allocation of Tk 700 crore will come from internal resources and will be spent on 18 projects including a new one, said the minister.
A total of 223 projects will be completed this year, sources said, adding that the government aims to implement 305 projects in the next FY.
A planning ministry official said the prime minister in the meeting asked the ministries to complete the projects by giving more allocations so that the government can take up more projects in future.
When a secretary pointed out in the meeting that many project directors do not even know the project area, Hasina advised the secretaries to “dismiss” them.
On hurriedly spending the ADP money at the end of year, AK Khandaker said government money cannot be wasted easily. Payments in many cases are made at the end of the year although the projects are taken up much earlier, he added.
About the use of foreign aid, he said development partners tag many conditions for which the projects cannot be completed in time.
Among other priority sectors, education sector will get Tk 6,124 crore (13.31 percent), physical infrastructure, water supply and housing Tk 5,651 crore (12.28 percent), rural development and rural organisation sectors Tk 4,402 crore (9.57 percent), agriculture and water resources Tk 4,109 crore (8.93 percent), and health sector Tk 3,942 crore (8.57 percent).