Editorial
ADP implementation sluggish
Isn't the time too short to meet physical targets?
AT the half-way point of fiscal 2007-08, only 21 percent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) stands implemented. This is the record low rate of implementation in the last four years. That this has happened during the rule of a non-party interim government cannot but surprise experts. The very technocratic nature of the government was supposed to have infused certain efficiency and dynamism into ADP manage-ment. Besides, being apolitical, the government has been free from political distractions with project planning and selection keeping above any political or lobby considerations.
Against this backdrop, the ECNEC is rightly indig-nant over the slow pace of work and has issued directives to the ministries to expedite implementation. Tak-ing a tough stance, the ECNEC has asked the low performing ministries to surrender their funds to the planning ministry by February 7 whereupon the money will be diverted to other ministries in the revised budget in February. Our worry is the physical targets of some ministries may not be met.
It is worthwhile to note that 10 large ministries and divisions taking up 81 percent of the ADP allocations had utilised 16 percent of these from July to November, 2007. But they accomplished a neat six percent of the target in December alone. In other words, these ministries at the December rate of implementation can hope to very nearly reach their overall target by June 2008.
It is a pity, however, that the power division on whom the public attention is focused for obvious reasons of erratic power supplies has been must too slow in implementing its projects virtually risking reduction of allocation.
Let's not forget, accelerating the pace of ADP implementation in the remaining six months of the year carries a certain risk of compromising on quality, a possibility which the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED) of the Planning Ministry should be seized of and tackled in advance.
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