A concerning revelation has emerged in the country’s development landscape: a staggering 104 projects exhibited no physical progress and 110 no financial advancement in the last fiscal year despite substantial budget allocations.

The findings, disclosed in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year of 2022-23, have laid bare a significant deficit in effective accountability measures within the project management.

According to the progress review report of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Commission, despite a combined allocation of Tk1,489.20 crore, numerous projects have experienced impediments such as delays in disbursement, land acquisition, tender invitations and the availability of loans, among other factors, leading to a complete lack of financial progress.

Besides, the report revealed that 104 projects have failed to demonstrate any tangible advancement, presenting substantial hurdles to their timely completion.

Challenges identified throughout project formulation, implementation and post-implementation stages include protracted implementation periods and surpassing estimated costs.
To address these issues, recommendations have been proposed, including strict adherence to updated guidelines and the prompt resolution of issues during project formulation, to ensure smoother implementation.

Remarkable projects exhibiting zero real progress include infrastructure development for Gazipur City Corporation, expansion of Narayanganj Nagar Bhaban, Development of Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake and the Dhaka Integrated Traffic Management Project, among others.

 However, out of 1,686 total projects under implementation across 58 ministries/divisions in FY23, the progress review report highlighted notable advancements in several initiatives amid challenges. Financially, 264 projects (15.66%) and physically, 459 projects (27.22%) have demonstrated commendable progress, achieving 100% or above target.

Additionally, 304 projects (18.03%) have made satisfactory financial progress with 225 projects (13.35%) showing acceptable physical progress.

Furthermore, 579 projects (34.34%) have displayed fairly satisfactory financial progress, accompanied by 387 projects (22.95%) showing comparable actual progress.

IMED Secretary Abul Kashem Md Mohiuddin said the prevalence of projects showing no real progress in the last fiscal year was significant. He attributed this to several projects being categorised as ‘C’ indicating insufficient funding despite allocations in their favour.

However, he noted ongoing discussions at all government levels regarding project supervision and implementation, indicating a potential decrease in such projects in the current fiscal year.

Mohiuddin highlighted extensive deliberations on the matter in various forums, including the Planning Commission, Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, NEC and DC conferences, expressing optimism about their positive impact.

Despite IMED’s limited manpower, he emphasised continued efforts in project monitoring. Nevertheless, he stressed the importance of rectifying the organisational structure to achieve substantial progress.

However, despite assurances given to the prime minister during the NEC meeting, 100 projects remained incomplete in the last financial year. Out the total 377 projects allocated for completion, only 277 were successfully finished.

However, the secretaries of the respective ministries have pledged to ensure the completion of 330 pending projects within the current fiscal year. Adequate allocations have been earmarked to facilitate the timely completion of these projects.