Gas supply key to industrialisation in southwest: Experts

Businesses in the south-western Bangladesh will need access to key infrastructural facilities – such as gas supply and integration of ports – to reap the Padma Bridge’s benefits to the fullest, and accelerate industrialisation in this region.

Industry leaders and experts made the remarks at a dialogue titled “Implementation of Public Infrastructure Projects (PIPs) in Bangladesh: Ensuring Good Value for Money,” jointly organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and The Asia Foundation in the capital on Wednesday.

Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Vice President Mohammad Fazlul Haque said, “We are optimistic that more RMG and textile industries will be established in the country’s south-western region following the Padma Bridge’s inauguration.

“But there is no gas supply there. The power transmission lines also remain incomplete. We have electricity, but the lack of lines prevents its use. Using the Padma Bridge only for public transportation will not help us raise money. We want to get good value out of this bridge.”

Md Abdus Shahid, lawmaker and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Estimates, said, “Gas goes from Sylhet to other parts of the country, but we – the people of this district – do not get gas properly.

“Gas will get there soon, as the supply lines are already being installed.”

Attending the event as special guest, Shahid addressed the issue of corruption in government projects saying, “I will not call this theft, many are engaging in corruption during the implementation of our projects.” Meanwhile, speaking as the chief guest, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed us to build overpasses on railway lines in every city across the country, with the purpose to break the barriers against fluent movement.

“We have already broken big barriers through the Padma Bridge.”

In his presentation, CPD’s Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman said, “The absence of good governance in the implementation of public infrastructure projects undermines the efficacy of such initiatives.

“The lack of governance also negatively impacts potential results and returns on the investment.”

Mustafizur recommended that the government should put into place a development framework similar to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to ensure good value for money while implementing development projects.

The government needs to strengthen the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), either by establishing divisional IMED offices or IMED sections in every ministry to decentralise this department.

Mustafizur also spoke in favour of creating a new cadre of government jobs to fulfill the need for project directors (PD) in the coming days.

Speakers at the event pointed out that the acquisition of land remains a big problem for implementers during the primary stages of a project, and dedicated government legal officers are needed to mitigate this issue.

To ensure good value for money, experts recommended that government projects be completed on schedule, quality be maintained at affordable prices, and maximum economic and social returns be ensured for facilitating inclusive development.

Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) Senior Vice President Kamran Rahman said, “Coordination is needed to resolve the above-mentioned problems. The IMED needs to be strengthened further.”

Stating that infrastructure development is harming Bangladesh’s environment, speakers demanded that an environmental survey be carried out properly before the implementation of any project.

Rawshown Momtaz, a professor of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said, “We need to know what effects the construction of roads in the haor region will have on that environment.”

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman recommended reducing the country’s dependence on foreign aid for infrastructural development and putting more emphasis on domestic sources.

“We can raise funds through bonds, make a company for big projects and offload its shares in the capital market,” he said. Speakers at the programme also suggested strengthening the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Policy Exchange of Bangladesh’s Chairman M Masrur Reaz said the line ministries are not helping the PPP authority, as these ministries are not sending projects that could be implemented under the PPP system. Speakers also demanded punishment for government officials responsible for unnecessary increase in the costs and duration of any project.