825 new projects in next fiscal year

The Planning Commission has added over 825 new unapproved development projects in the annual development programme (ADP) of next fiscal year 2023-24.

The commission has increased 192 new projects in the next ADP compared to the current one, a senior official of the planning ministry told The Business Post.

“These 825 new projects are categorised as high, medium and low priority basis. These projects will be approved throughout the year. On the high priority list there are many projects like construction of buildings and roads and bridges in remote areas,” he said.

Among the unapproved new projects, the highest 133 projects are in the housing and community facilities sector, 96 projects in agriculture, 86 in transport and communication and 67 in local government and rural development.

Besides, 62 projects are in the education sector, 46 in the social security sector, 32 in science and information technology sector, 62 in religion-culture and entertainment, 40 in health sector, 50 in environment, climate change and water resources sector and 17 projects in power and energy sector.

On the other hand, 65 projects in industrial and economic services, 44 in public order and security, 17 in defence and eight in general government service sector.

In the current ADP, there are 633 new projects.

State Minister for Planning Professor Shamsul Alam said, “New projects have been taken up with emphasis on employment, poverty alleviation and communication. The project will be passed considering these priorities.”

“We are now focusing more on project completion. Several projects will be completed this year, people will also get the benefits,” he also said.

Over 200 projects in the upcoming ADP FY24 are foreign-funded ones. The government has finalised Tk 2,63,000 crore for the ADPs of Fiscal Year 2023-24 prioritising transport and power sector, said a senior planning ministry official.

“A total of 1,309 projects have received allocations in the ADP, and 1,118 of them are investment projects, 22 feasibility projects and 80 are technical projects,” he said, adding that 89 projects will be implemented by autonomous organisations.

If the funds, to be set aside for the state-owned enterprises, are included, the size of the development budget will be Tk 274,674 crore, around 7 per cent higher than the current ADP.

Meanwhile, the government approved the revised annual development programme (RADP) of Tk 2,27,566 crore for the Fiscal Year 2022-23, trimming Tk 18,500 crore foreign assistance from the original ADP of Tk 2,46,066 crore.

10 projects get 23% allocation of ADP

In the ADP for FY24, Tk 9,707 crore will be allocated for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project; Tk 9,081 crore for Matarbari 2x600 MW Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Project (1st revised); Tk 8,586 crore for 4th Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4, 1st revised); Tk 5,870 crore for Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway Construction (1st revised); Tk 5,500 crore for Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (1st revised); Tk 5,499 crore Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion, 1st phase (1st revised); Tk 4,696 crore for Physical Feasibility Development (PFD, 1st revised); Tk 3,911 crore for Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-1); Tk 3,778 crore for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Construction project: and Tk 3,425 crore for Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6, 2nd revised).