According to official sources, the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to place the policy on unsolicited public-private partnership (PPP) proposals before a cabinet committee meeting on economic affairs. A large number of these proposals are for innovative ideas, technologies, and management projects which could help make strides towards the country’s infrastructural development.
When it comes to granting approval, or speeding up the process for potentially beneficial projects, the decision should be an easy one. PPP proposals seeking to remove the many bottlenecks hampering the country’s infrastructure should be approved without undue delay.
In fact, the government should speed up the review of its policy framework to try and encourage more successful PPP initiatives, since they offer the quickest available route to making the much-needed improvements to our country’s infrastructure, if implemented properly.
It should also be noted that the slow pace of implementation of mooted projects is a cause for concern, especially at a time when many businesses are looking for new investment opportunities. The proposal’s aim to incentivise original entrepreneurship would also send out a signal to the many dormant entrepreneurial talents in Bangladesh to step up and work towards new and vibrant solutions.
Failing to take advantage of the opportunities from these PPP projects in developing the country’s infrastructure is something the government should try and avoid to its fullest.