Tk 2.05 lakh crore FY21 provisional ADP finalised
The planning ministry in a meeting on Tuesday finalised the annual development programme for the 2020-21 fiscal year with the provisional estimate of Tk 2,05,145 crore amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Planning minister MA Mannan who presided over the meeting told New Age that emphasis was put on health, agriculture, social safety net and employment generation in the new ADP.
He said that the shortage of resources against the current economic downturn amid the virus outbreak forced them to raise the size of new ADP by 6 per cent from the Tk 191,921-crore revised ADP of the outgoing fiscal year.
The government would contribute Tk 1,34,643 crore and borrow Tk 70,501.72 crore from the development partners for implementing the new ADP, said officials.
The draft ADP would be sent to the PM soon for her approval, he said.
The meeting was participated, among others, by Finance Division secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder, Planning Division secretary Nurul Amin and Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division secretary Abul Mansur Md. Faizullah.
Officials attending the meeting said that FD secretary Rouf Talukder said that the revenue shortfall of Tk 60,000 crore, or 2 per cent of the GDP, recorded until March was a big worry for the government in preparing the upcoming national budget, including the ADP.
To tackle the economic downturn stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, the government has announced stimulus packages worth over Tk one lakh crore, he said.
Rouf Talukder said that steps involving Tk 10,000 crore for the readymade garment sector and cash assistance for some 50 million households were in progress.
According to officials, the planning commission has received opinions from the ministries and divisions, including the prime minister’s office, in drafting the ADP.
They said that the PMO wanted thrust given on projects linked to social safety net and employment generation in addition to health and agriculture.
The planning minister, however, said that still the highest allocation would go to the country’s transport infrastructure sector as many mega projects were in the final stage of implementation.
Planning commission officials said that the transport sector could get Tk 55,100 crore, energy and power sector Tk 24,800 crore, education sector Tk 24,800 crore, health sector Tk 13,033 crore and agriculture sector Tk 8,424 crore.
They also said that the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project could be given the highest allocation, followed by the Roopur Nuclear Power Plant project and the Metro Rail project in the capital.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
