The coronavirus pandemic has slowed the implementation of at least 40 of projects financed through the Asian Development Bank.
The initial estimate shows that hiring can fall to 20 per cent this year and budget disbursement to 30 per cent if no special measures are taken.
In the six-year-old until June 30, the pinnacle of the award of contracts was only 13.87 cents and that of the disbursement of the budget 21.41 consistent with the cent of the objectives, the documents of the BAFD show.
“Given Covid-19, special measures will be to speed up the implementation of the allocation, as the blockade has seriously affected the progress of the allocation,” reads in the documents.
In this context, the Tripartite Portfolio Review Meeting (TPRM) will be held in Dhaka for projects financed by the AffD. This is the first montage of its kind this year.
The MEPC will be co-chaired by the Secretary of the Economic Relations Division and the Country Director of the BAfD’s Bangladesh Resident Mission.
Representatives from the implementation agencies of all projects will participate in the virtual meeting.
They will evaluate the effect of Covid-19 on project implementation, read about key implementation issues that can move forward, prioritize movements to achieve the goals, and also discuss the approval of proposed projects.
As of June 30 of this year, Bangladesh’s active portfolio with the BAfD $10.810 million in loans or grants for 49 projects in six sectors. The amount includes a $742 million loan for projects approved this year.
Of the projects, 12 are in the maritime transport sector; in school and health; 8 in energy; 8 in water, infrastructure and urban services; seven in agriculture, herbal resources and rural development; and five in the monetary sector.
Projects in the shipping and electricity sectors account for 55% of the portfolio.
According to the BAfD, Bangladesh was working well until March, when Covid-19 began implementing the allocation.
To involve the spread of the virus and the protection of staff and employees, most sites in the structure were shut down after the closure, he said.
Since then, no contracts have been awarded for several masses and the budget may simply not be disbursed, which has had a significant effect on the implementation of the project, The AfDB said in the documents.
The government imposed a halt at the end of March to involve the spread of the virus. However, he lifted restrictions on May 31 when the closure of the economy and people’s livelihoods began.
Although several assignment sites have reopened, scale paintings are being made.
The Department of Roads and Roads is implementing several projects funded by the BAfD, sustainable urban transport in the Great Dhaka and SASEC-1 and 2 road connectivity projects.
As a component of the urban transport project, a compromised bus line or Bus Rapid Transit from Dhaka Airport to Gazipur is being built, while the Gazipur two-lane road in Rangpur is being modernized with 4 lanes as a component of road connectivity projects.
“The implementation of our projects has been hampered by the pandemic because the paintings of these projects have been suspended for more than two months since the end of March,” Quazi Quazir Hossain’s lead engineer to the Daily Star said yesterday.
“We’ve repainted, but we still paint at full capacity because many foreign experts haven’t returned yet,” he said.
In response to another question, Shahriar said: “The pandemic will affect each and every assignment, and we want to increase the time restriction for at least 3 months. We have already obtained such indications from assignment managers.”
SASEC Chattogram-Cox’s bazaar assignment is a primary allocation funded through AfDB.
As a component of the project, a single two-way railway will be built from Dohazari to Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar Ramu.
The government of the accelerated allocation had a plan to complete 50% of the physical paintings in fiscal year 2019-2020, but 40%, the paintings had remained suspended for two months due to the pandemic.
The physical paintings of the assignment at most stopped after March. Although most of the staff returned to the assignment site, the rain hampers the paintings, anonymity said.
Things are almost the same for projects.
The BAfD said the implementing agencies were now making plans to reopen the structure sites and camps while the government was lifting the lockdown.
At the time of the MEPC preparations, sectoral discussions were held between law enforcement agencies from 29 June to 5 July.
“All existing and long-term procurement packages have been reviewed, and initial agreement has been reached on the allocations and disbursements of package contracts that must take place in 2020,” he said.
The BAfD Bangladesh Residents Mission has fitness protection rules for enforcement agencies, contractors and experts amid the pandemic.
This will complement the existing Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and occupational protection and fitness guidelines.
Contractors are required to maintain a comprehensive, site-specific physical fitness protocol in assignment activities and to ensure that they distance themselves from workers, he noted.