Alarmed by a sluggish start in development expenditure, the government will hold an inter-ministerial meeting next week to review why implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first two months of FY2025-26 fell below last year’s level.
Talking to reporters after the ECNEC meeting at the NEC conference room, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Wednesday said the ADP implementation in July–August this year stood at just 2.39 percent, slightly down from 2.57 percent in the same period of FY2024-25.
Historically, the rate hovers between 3 and 4 percent in the first two months, raising concerns about the slower momentum this year.
“We had expected a faster start this time, but that hasn’t happened. That is why we have convened an inter-ministerial meeting to identify the bottlenecks and find solutions,” the adviser said.
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He pointed to several reasons behind the delay, including frequent revisions, transfers of project directors and contractors leaving projects midway. “Traditionally, project directors are drawn from government officials. But now many are unwilling to take on that role despite the added benefits, which is unusual.”
The adviser also flagged instances of irregularities in certain projects—such as land acquisition without prior approval and unauthorized expenditure beyond sanctioned allocations.
One project was recently shut down after spending a few crores of taka on land acquisition without clearance, although the government will still have to bear Tk 20 crore in costs.
On a positive note, he said ministries and advisers in charge of large sectors like water resources, railways, public works, power, and energy are now taking extra time before inviting tenders.
“They are waiting to apply the new forms and procedures we have introduced to ensure greater discipline and curb irregularities,” he noted.
The government also plans to finalise the revised budget earlier this year—by mid-February—instead of the usual schedule, the adviser informed.