Ministries, divisions can clear revised project proposals now

The Planning Commission has given the jurisdiction to ministries and divisions concerned to approve the revised development project proposals which come from their respective autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, public sector corporations or state-owned companies.

“We have issued an order in this regard. These projects are financed by the organisations’ funds,” a senior official of the Planning Ministry told The Business Post on Thursday.

“From now on, the ministries and divisions will be able to approve any revised project proposals and extension of tenure of projects that are 100 per cent funded by autonomous bodies and corporations and state-owned companies,” the official said. The Planning Division has sent a letter, issued on January 30 and signed by the division’s Joint Secretary Tasmina Taslim, to the ministries and divisions concerned to follow the order immediately.

The letter stated the minister or state minister of the concerned ministries and divisions can approve projects seeking a third revision in line with the recommendations of the Division Project Evaluation Committee. However, the commission will process the projects needing over 20 acres of land acquisition.

Commission officials said many projects come to the Planning Ministry seeking approval for revision and time extension. With the new order in effect, there will be no need for that anymore.

The ministries and divisions concerned can now approve them, they said, adding that the commission will still approve the projects funded by the government and foreign assistance.

The letter also stated that if any project of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, public sector corporations or state-owned companies needed time extension for the third or fourth time, the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division will give its recommendations on it and then the ministries and divisions will make the decision.