Record 37 projects okayed as election nears

As the term of the government nears its end, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved 37 development projects worth Tk52,612 crore on Tuesday, the second highest number in the last five years and three times higher than usual.

A record 46 projects were presented for approval at the meeting. But nine of them did not get the green light due to time constraints. They will be presented again at the next Ecnec meeting, as journalists were briefed.

Normally, each Ecnec meeting approves 10-15 projects, but stakeholders have expressed concerns that too many projects are getting approval "without proper vetting" ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Prior to the 2018 elections, over 40 projects were presented at each Ecnec meeting, but a maximum of 38 projects were approved during a single meeting.

At the post-Ecnec press conference, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the current government approved the projects for development purposes and not as election strategies.

Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmaker mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the Ecnec meeting, emphasised that in the last 14-15 years, no project has received approval with just a simple checkmark. She highlighted that the country has seen significant development because the projects undergo thorough review before approval.

At the press conference, State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said there was a backlog of projects because the last Ecnec meeting was nearly two months ago.

At the time, the planning minister mentioned that the prime minister had ordered the quick completion of projects that are in the final stages of implementation and projects that are dependent on foreign loans.

"This is not about the election," he quoted the prime minister as saying at the meeting. "If a project can be completed quickly, the benefits will come quickly. Additionally, if a foreign loan project can be processed quickly, we will obtain the benefits of the project and some foreign currency."

The prime minister has once again ordered the creation of a dedicated fund for the maintenance of all roads.

The planning minister noted that the current government has built many roads but acknowledged that these roads often deteriorate quickly due to heavy rainfall.

"Rapid economic growth has also led to increased traffic, exceeding the capacity of roads and contributing to their deterioration," he added. "As a result, we face challenges in road maintenance."

In response to this situation, the prime minister suggested moving beyond the current maintenance approach and establishing a fund for the upkeep of national highways through toll collection.

"This approach will enable more effective road maintenance. The Road Transport and Highways Division, as well as the Bridges Division, are actively working on toll collection for specific roads and bridges," he said.

The projects received Ecnec approval on Tuesday, including the Tk8,556 crore Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Highway Improvement Project. The Japanese government will provide a loan of Tk5,709 crore for the project.

Ecnec also approved three gas-meter installation projects at a cost of Tk6437.54 crore.

Two projects, with a total value of Tk3,738 crore, have been approved for the production of essential vaccines in the country and the establishment of Essential Biotech and Research Centres. The ADB will provide a loan of Tk3,241 crore for these projects. These initiatives are expected to decrease import dependency and open avenues for vaccine exports.

Among other notable projects that have received approval are: Upgradation of Karnaphuli Tunnel Link Road with Anwara Upazila Link Road to 4-lane; Expansion and Modernisation of Amin Bazar Landfill; Jamuna River Sustainable Management Project-1 (Navigational Channel Development); Bridge constructions on the Meghna-Dhanagoda River for the Matlab North-Gazaria Road; construction of the Bogura-Rangpur-Syedpur gas transmission pipeline; and installation of offsite water supply facilities at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.