ADP for transport proposed to be doubled

Allocation for transport and communication has been proposed to be doubled next year compared to the current 2021-22 fiscal year, which will be the highest in FY23 development spending, according to officials.

The proposed transport share stands at 28.73% of the next annual development programme (ADP), prioritising several ongoing mega-projects such as Karnaphuli tunnel, metro rail (MRT-6), Jamuna rail bridge, Padma rail link, Dhaka elevated expressway and Matarbari port.

Project officials said development projects are now at their peak. Therefore, more money is required to facilitate the progress.     

The ADP share for transport and communication in the proposed development spending is Tk70,695 crore, which is Tk14,868 crore more than the revised Tk55,827 crore allocation for this year.

The size of the development budget for the next fiscal year has been set at Tk246,066 crore. Similar to the transport sector, proposals for a raise in allocations for power and energy, education and health have been made for the new ADP.

The Planning Commission has convened an extended meeting on 11 May to finalise the sector-wise allocation. The National Economic Council (NEC) will give the final go-ahead at a meeting, which, according to Planning Commission officials, is likely to be held on 17 May.    

Pradip Ranjan Chakraborty, member (secretary) of the Programming Division at the Planning Commission, said the commission has proposed sector-wise allocations as per demand of the ministries.  

"Transport and communication gets the highest allocation, while the second highest allocation goes to the power and energy sector," Chakraborty told The Business Standard.

He said allocations for education and health sectors have also been increased.

"However, the allocations might be readjusted at the Planning Commission extended meeting, or at the NEC meeting," he noted.

According to Planning Commission officials, allocation for health was 7.68% of the current fiscal year's development budget. In the proposed ADP, health allocation has been slightly increased to 7.83%, or by Tk10,820 crore.

Compared to the revised ADP for the current fiscal year, health allocation has increased by Tk5480 crore in the proposed ADP.

In the proposed development spending, allocation for education has been raised to 11.82%, which is around 36.48% more than the FY22 ADP.  

Education got 10.29% of allocation in the FY22 development spending, but the education budget was trimmed to 3.81% later.