Editorial
What's an ADP worth?
Obviously its implementation, not size
PLANNING minister AK Khandaker has hinted that the size of annual development programme (ADP) for FY 2009-10 could be around Tk 29,000-30,000 crore. He prefers the programme size to be big so that money can reach the poor, employment is generated and poverty declines. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), however, recommends that the ADP should be kept within Tk 26,000 crore mark in view of the low implementation trend in recent years.
We believe the debate over ADP size is misplaced, if not superfluous. The resources and expertise available within the government and outside it, among the think-tanks and research organisations, would be much better expended if these were directed to devising ways and means to ensure the fullest implementation of an ADP having been adopted. Anyone conversant with the history of ADP implementation in the country knows it too well, whatever its size, whether original or revised, the implementation deficits remained glaring. The pattern consistently has been that of grandstanding with an ambitious ADP in a new fiscal year, downsizing it in the face of below 25 percent implementation at the half-year point at the most, and then rushing through the remainder six months with the sole objective of meeting financial and physical targets. That way what we got was not only under-performance but also poor quality development work.
Apart from project selection often bearing signature of political rather than economic considerations and thereby affecting implementation, the problems apparently lie with the ministries themselves. In our front page report yesterday on the subject of non-implementation of ADP we find that the government is going to reduce allocation in the foreign aided projects in such priority sectors as power, energy and agriculture by 18-75 percent in the current fiscal year because of their failure to spend the allocated money. For the same reason, the donors which had committed funds are not disbursing. The huge pipeline bulges have been traditionally attributed to non-utilisation of allocations at our end.
The Planning Ministry and Economic Relations Division and the line ministries must hold regular meetings to discuss problems in implementing projects so that solutions can emerge out of effective brain-storming and collective wisdom. It can be easily realised that if powers are adequately delegated to project directors and they are not transferred out for the duration of project-work, implementation is bound to move apace. One other strategic move to help implementation would be to structurally strengthen and empower the Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments