ADP downsized

The government, like in past years, has cut allocation for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) by 6.61% due to slow implementation.

It approved the revised ADP after withdrawing Tk 3.15 billion, leaving Tk 750 billion on Tuesday.   

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) that approved the cut. 

The move comes eight months into the new fiscal, despite Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal’s repeated assurance of full programme implementation.

Tk 501 billion of the entire sum will be in the local currency and the rest coming in as foreign aid, said minister Kamal after the NEC meeting. 
 
The prime minister, he said, had ordered all relevant ministries and departments to finish the work in time.   

“In the revised ADP, allocations have been increased for ministries that have performed well. Those who did not, will have their funds axed.”

The current fiscal’s ADP was finalised at Tk 803.12 billion, which has been downsized like every year due to non-implementation of development projects.

At a media call on Jan 8, the planning minister had reassured a complete implementation of the ADP.

“Not by erasing or clicking computers, the ADP will be fully implemented,” he said then.

The top priorities of the amended ADP are transport, power and education, said the minister adding Tk 81 billion has been set aside for the Padma Bridge project. 

According to the planning commission’s figure, the revised ADP for the previous 2013-14 fiscal was Tk 600 billion after a downsize of Tk 58.72 billion.