Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday began a Japan tour to find ways for reducing the construction costs of two under-construction metro train lines.
Officials said that the finance adviser aided by Economic Relations Division officials would discuss with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank over the tendering method.
The JICA and the ADB are providing loans worth about Tk聽69,040 crore for the mass rapid transit-1 and the mass rapid transit-5 projects.
In October 2019, the executive committee of the National Economic Council approved both the projects at estimated costs of Tk聽93,722 crore.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited which is implementing the projects has assessed that the implementation cost of the projects might double because of conditions linked to tendering.
Tendering method set by the JICA allows Japanese companies or joint ventures to participate in the bidding.
The finance adviser will request JICA officials to bring about changes in the tendering method and make it more competitive, said finance ministry officials.
Besides, the finance adviser will also request to add a provision for retendering if the quoted prices are found to be high, said the officials.
The officials also said that the finance advisers鈥� meeting with the ADB would concentrate on railway improvement projects in the light of experience of Japan.
Japan links tourist attractions and business hubs in its capital Tokyo and others cities to increase income generation of the rail companies there. The JICA financed the MRT-6, Bangladesh鈥檚 first metro rail that is being implemented at a revised cost of Tk聽33,472 crore from initial Tk聽21,985 crore because of the addition of the Motijhee-Kamalapur section.
The DMTCL has been operating trains on the Utarra鈥擬otijheel section since 2022.
The JICA has already asked the DMTCL to increase income for the metro rail-6 by operating business ventures at 16 stations.
The finance adviser is scheduled to return to the country on September 5.
