ADP still in slow pace

Though the government took an ambitious development programme this
fiscal year, it could spend only 2 percent or Tk 482 crore of
allocation in the first month. The implementation rate was below the
expectation in consideration of a bigger annual development programme
(ADP). An ADP of Tk 30 ,500 crore was taken for the current fiscal
year. The ADP size was between Tk 25 ,000 crore and Tk 26 ,000
crore in the last three fiscal years and later in the revised budget
it was cut by Tk 3 , 000 crore-Tk 4 ,000 crore. But the government
failed to implement ADP to the tune of Tk 20 ,000 crore. Though 2
percent was implemented in the first month this year, the rate was
one percent in the same month of the last three fiscal years. However,
in the first month of the current fiscal year 7 percent or Tk 1205
crore has been released. Of the total expenditure, local component
implantation was one percent or Tk 232 crore and project aid
implementation was 2 percent or Tk 250 crore. Of the 48 ministries
and departments, 24 failed to spend a single taka in the first
month, said Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division
(IMED). IMED officials said they have talked with the ministries in
this regard. They said the implementation pace usually remains slow
in the beginning of a fiscal year. The officials also said the IMED
has sent letters to the ministries with guidelines to accelerate the
pace. The prime minister regularly pushes the ministries and
departments to increase their ADP implementation. The finance
ministry has taken several initiatives to bring a momentum in ADP
implementation rate.