The government expenditure on improving people’s living condition reduced to five years low in last fiscal year, with planning minister citing political unrest and non-utilisation of Padma Bridge fund as reasons.
Despite the government’s efforts to improve its development spending, Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) in fiscal year 2014-15 stood at 91% – its lowest since FY2009-10, according to finance ministry.
The figure was four percentage point down than that of previous fiscal year which also suffered political turmoil.
The data provided by the planning ministry, however, showed it would be two years low. It said 55 ministries and divisions spent Tk71,079 crore, which was 91% of Tk77,836 crore RADP. The implementation rate was 93% in FY2013-14 and 91% in FY2012-13.
“I failed to keep my word of full ADP implementation just because of destructive politics and non-utilisation of Tk3,300 crore from Padma bridge fund,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at a press briefing yesterday.
The government spent Tk4,565 crore or nearly 60% of Tk7865 crore total allocation for Padma bridge in FY2014-15.
“But as a planning minister I cannot say we will fail to spend 100% as I should always try to cheer up the nation by encouraging words. If I become pessimistic, negativity will be all around,” Kamal said.
He argued: “The FY2014-15 was not a normal year. First three months of second half of the year was jostled by the political unrest, badly affecting the country’s economy.”
In keeping with tradition, the implementation of ADP became faster in the final months of the fiscal year, making room for wastage of public money.
At a press conference last month, Kamal said it was partially true that hurried expenditure in last quarter of the fiscal year hampered the quality of overall development programme.
The government had spent 67% of the ADP in first 11 months, 56% in 10 months and 44% in nine months of the immediate past fiscal year, showed the data from Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).
Out of total 55 ministries and divisions, entrusted with implemention of 1,449 projects, 10 spent more than 100% of their respective allocations in the RADP for the year.
Twenty two ministries and divisions spent over 90% while 10 ministries and divisions spent from 80% to 90%.
Housing and Public Works Ministry was the best performer in the year with 111%, followed by Post and Telecommunication Ministry 106% and ICT Ministry 102%. Social Welfare Ministry, Women and Children Affairs Ministry and Power Divisions spent 101% each.
The allocated funds were fully spent by the ministries of food, defence, fisheries and livestock, science and technology and road, transport and highways division. Mustafa Kamal said the implementation rate would be much better if the ministries and divisions could implement more donor-funded projects under the development budget.