BANGLADESH

ECNEC approves TK 2,555cr project to boost capacity of local govt bodies

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved a TK 2,555.25 crore big project to enhance the capacity of the urban local government bodies in their recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic alongside strengthening their preparedness in facing such situation in the future.

The approval came in the 12th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year (FY22) held today with the ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Premier joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence while Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and Secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 12 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of TK 15,744.56 crore.

“Of the total project cost, TK 11,674.83 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh portion, TK 1.20 crore from the concerned organization’s own fund while the rest of Taka 4,068.53 crore from project assistance,” he added.

Of the approved 12 projects, 11 are new while another one is a revised project.

Revealing some directives of the Premier in the meeting, the Planning Minister said that the Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to increase afforestation in the coastal areas as well as expanding the coverage of the mangrove forests.

Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for expanding cultivation of the soybean and sunflower in the county to produce more edible oil to meet the growing demand.

But, more research is needed in this regard for which necessary funding will be ensured.

The Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to ensure culverts on the roads in the rural areas so that the natural flow of water is not hindered. Besides, she stressed that the bridges should have to be built in such height so that the boats and other river vessels can easily move under the bridges.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said the Premier observed that if the successors of the lower level Bangladesh Railway staffs (cleaner, signaling staff) have proper qualifications, then the existing quota of maximum 40 percent could be continued for them.

At the very outset of the meeting, the Planning Minister said that the ECNEC greeted the Premier for attaining 100 percent electricity coverage in the country alongside inaugurating the Payra Power Plant.

To rein in the inflation trend, Mannan said that the government has increased market intervention while essential items are being provided to some one crore families at an affordable price.

“It’s expected that the bite of inflation is reducing and hopefully within the next few days, the inflation trend will be under control,” he added.

Mannan said the major macroeconomic indicators are now strong while the inward remittance flow is also positive.

Answering to a question, he said that the government respects the opinions and studies of others including various think tanks.

But, based on the data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other government agencies, good results are coming out in terms of per capita income, power usage and life expectancy.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that despite the global inflation trend alongside the war between Russia and Ukraine, the government has been handling the inflation situation nicely compared to other countries.

He informed that the general point to point inflation rate is 6.1 percent in Bangladesh which is 15.1 percent in Sri Lanka, 12.2 percent in Pakistan, 10.4 percent in Brazil, 340 percent in Venezuela, 52.3 percent in Argentina, 54.4 percent in Turkey and 9 percent in UK..

Meanwhile, the Planning Minister said the Local Government Division under the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives will implement the “Local Government COVID-19 Response and Recovery (LGCRR)” project by December 2025 with an estimated cost of Taka 2,555.25 crore.

He said that cleanliness will be ensured in the designated areas of selected city corporations and Pourashavas.

Out of the total project amount, the government will provide Taka 11.25 crore while the rest of Taka 2,544 crore will come from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank.

The project will be implemented in some 10 city corporations and 329 Pourasabhas.

The project will help Bangladesh to strengthen its urban local government institutions for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and improve preparedness to future shocks benefitting about 40 million urban residents.

Under the project, toilets would be set at markets, graveyards, cremators, schools operated by the selected city corporations and Pourasabhas and thus hygiene and sanitation materials would be supplied to those.

Planning Commission officials said some 329 Pourasabhas and 10 city corporations will have the provision to receive funds bi-annually from the project to improve critical urban services delivery of facilities and infrastructure, local economic recovery, and preparedness to climate impacts, disaster and future disease outbreak.

Aided by the funding from the project, the World Bank officials said the eligible urban local bodies will install community hand-washing stations and toilets; and improve sanitization in municipality-owned or operated markets, burial grounds and public offices.

The project will help the residents have better access to municipality-operated health clinics and facilitate vaccine registrations for disadvantaged people and conduct awareness programs on COVID-19 protocols, vaccines and climate risks.

It will create 1.5 million days of temporary work as well as employment for 10,000 women under the public work scheme. The project will also help the local government institutions to improve preparedness to climate impacts, disaster and future disease outbreak.

The project will help strengthen local institutions through training, technical support, and set up a web-based platform for better coordination and exchange of information during emergencies. It will be implemented in all eight divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet.

The other projects approved in the meeting are Procurement of 200 broad gauge (BG) passenger carriages for Bangladesh Railway with Taka 1,704.33 crore, Supplying water through harvesting of rainwater in coastal districts with Taka 961.76 crore, Establishment of Air Force Training Institute at Zohurul Haque Base in Chattogram, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 140.42 crore, The Project for Improvement of Governance and Management Research and Training Facilities with Taka 228.08 crore, Upgrading three regional highways and three district highways into due standard and width under Naogaon Road Department with Taka 1182.49 crore, Establishment of external telecommunication network for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with Taka 378.84 crore, Establishment of seed multiplication farm at south eastern region of Bangladesh with Taka 438.93 crore.

The other approved projects are expansion of irrigation area and irrigation capacity through expansion of underground irrigation channels and introduction of drip irrigation system on test basis with Taka 329.01 crore, Improvement of universal social infrastructures-2 (GSIDP-2) with Taka 1082 crore, Construction of important bridges on rural roads, 2nd phase with Taka 4,050 crore and Important upazila and Union road widening and strengthening in Barishal Division with Taka 2,693.43 crore.

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