Tk 3tn ADP budget proposed; focus on health, education

The Bangladesh government has proposed a Tk 3 trillion budget for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with a focus on the health and education sectors.

However, concerns remain about the implementation capacity in these sectors.

The education sector could receive 15.86 percent of the budget – the second largest outlay – while health could get 11.84 percent, the third largest.

The allocation was presented for approval at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Monday.

After the meeting, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said: "The total size of the proposed ADP has been estimated at Tk 3 trillion.

"Of this, GOB [Government of Bangladesh] financing, or government financing, will be Tk 1.99 trillion and project loans will contribute Tk 1.1 trillion."

Explaining the 50 percent increase in the revised ADP for the current fiscal year, the minister said: "This is a large-scale development programme compared with the current fiscal year, which is an indication of the government's increased investment and implementation capacity.

"That is, we have assumed that the capacity of an elected government is much greater in this proposal for the Annual Development Plan that has been presented."

After the ousting of the Awami League government, there was a slowdown in development projects. Contractors and project directors also became scarce.

Under the circumstances, the interim administration took a cautious approach to development policy, cutting several projects that had been part of the Sheikh Hasina-led government’s budget. It was cut again in the revision of the ADP.

The budget presented by the interim government in June last year allocated Tk 2.3 trillion to the ADP. After further cuts in January, the revised ADP stood at around Tk 2 trillion.