ADP implementation below 1% in July
In terms of expenditure, ministries and divisions spent Tk2,121.18 crore in July.
Implementation of Bangladesh's Annual Development Programme stood at just 0.69% in July, the first month of the current fiscal year, according to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division.
The rate was the same in July last year while ADP implementation stood at 1.05% in the corresponding month of FY25.
According to the Evaluation Division report released today (24 August), ministries and divisions spent Tk2,121.18 crore on development projects in July, compared with Tk1,644.66 crore in the same month last year.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The government has set an ADP expenditure target of Tk3,08,924.86 crore for FY27, including funding from agencies' own resources.
Planning Commission and Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division officials said spending is usually low at the beginning of a fiscal year as ministries and divisions focus on preparatory work, project planning and implementation plans. They expect spending to increase gradually as project activities accelerate.
Officials said the government has instructed ministries and divisions to step up ADP spending this year.
Kabir Ahamed, chief of the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, told TBS that measures have already been taken to accelerate implementation.
"Nearly half of Bangladesh's total ADP expenditure goes to physical infrastructure projects. So, we held meetings with stakeholders at the beginning of the fiscal year to remove obstacles and speed up implementation," he said.
The Physical Infrastructure Division is also conducting weekly project inspections to identify and resolve implementation problems, Kabir said.
The Evaluation Division has also initiated monthly review meetings with ministries and implementing agencies to address obstacles and speed up spending.
Most ministries spend less than 1%
Of the 57 ministries and divisions, 44 spent less than 1% of their allocations in July, while 10 failed to spend any money.
The government allocated Tk1,90,000 crore from its own funds for the ADP this fiscal year. Of this, Tk1,461 crore, or 0.77%, was spent in July, compared with 0.51% in the same month last year.
The allocation from foreign loans and grants stands at Tk1,10,000 crore, of which Tk480 crore, or 0.44%, was spent in July.
Agencies spent another Tk180 crore from their own funds, equivalent to 2.02% of the Tk8,925 crore allocated for the purpose.
The 15 ministries and divisions receiving the highest ADP allocations account for around 52% of the total ADP, but most recorded little progress in July.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education recorded the highest implementation rate among them at 5.14%, followed by the Local Government Division at 2.85% and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division at 2.52%.
The Secondary and Higher Education Division implemented 1.72%, while the Ministry of Science and Technology spent 1.56% and the Power Division 1.16%.
Several major sectors recorded particularly low implementation. The Ministry of Shipping spent only 0.04%, while the Ministry of Water Resources spent 0.47%. Bangladesh Railway implemented 0.13%, the Technical and Madrasa Education Division 0.66%, the Ministry of Agriculture 0.36% and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works just 0.04%.
The Health Services Division and the Health, Education and Family Welfare Division, both among the major ADP recipients, failed to spend any money in July.
