Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to pay more attention to the timely implementation of projects running on foreign loans and grants to ensure efficient use of the foreign aid.

Besides, asked the ministries and divisions concerned to apprise the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) every three months of the implementation progress of their respective foreign-aided projects to infuse dynamism in the implementation process.

She made the directives while chairing a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the NEC Conference room in Sher-e Bangla Nagar on Thursday.

At the meeting, the NEC approved a development budget or Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Tk265,000 crore for the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25.

Due to the ongoing economic pressures, only an additional Tk2,000 crore has been allocated in the development budget this time.

Planning Minister Major General (retd) Abdus Salam and Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmaker briefed reporters on the meeting's outcome.

The planning minister emphasised the need for district-wise projects to ensure equal development everywhere.

He also stated that officials who receive training abroad should be appointed to projects in line with their training.

Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmaker mentioned that 356 projects will be completed by June 30, the highest in a fiscal year so far.

The prime minister ordered that officials should receive training in the respective field if appointed as a project director, he mentioned.

Additionally, project managers are allowed to continue working at the same locations after training to enhance project implementation efficiency, Styajit added.

Sheikh Hasina emphasised the importance of proper feasibility studies at the project's outset, he said, adding that she directed the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to take necessary steps to bring those firms who conduct feasibility study under a registration process so that quality feasibility study could be conducted in different fields.