Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Sunday voiced disappointment over the very low implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) as it has fallen below one percent.
鈥楾his is lower than the previous year, this is not a good sign,鈥� he said while briefing reporters after the weekly Ecnec meeting.
He mentioned that the ADP implementation rate in the last fiscal was lower from the target level for various acceptable reasons. 鈥楾his year, it was supposed to be accelerated, the excuses of last year cannot be acceptable this year.鈥�
Dr Wahiduddin mentioned that contractors and project directors, who are usually the government officials, have been transferred, either following their desires or for other reasons. 鈥楴ew contractors are yet to be appointed. So, I assume that many projects are yet to get momentum,鈥� he pointed out.
But, he said, his expectation about the ADP implementation was the normal one, or quicker this year. 鈥榃e lowered the size of the ADP deliberately to make it realistic from the aspect of its size, so our target is to implement it properly,鈥� he said.
He mentioned that his ministry would issue directives to all other ministries to expedite their projects. 鈥楾here will be no room for excuses as projects must continue at their usual pace,鈥� he said.
The Planning Adviser said that generally the government revises the ADP during the March-April period, but this year it will be done by December-January. 鈥楢t that time, to achieve the target, ministries and divisions concerned used to try to implement projects hurriedly during the remaining last two months of the fiscal.鈥�
As the next election is going to be held in February, he said, 鈥榃e will do that in December-January, but for that we will need the total framework of the budget.鈥�
The ADP implementation rate fell to a record low of 67.85 per cent in the just-concluded fiscal year 2024-25, the lowest in at least two decades, according to data from the Planning Ministry鈥檚 Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).
Out of a revised ADP allocation of Tk 226,165 crore, including both government and agency funds, only Tk 153,450 crore was spent on various development projects during the fiscal year ending June 2025, a steep drop from the 80.63 percent implementation rate recorded in 2023-24.
This historically low rate surpasses even the downturn seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the worst performance since data tracking began in FY2004-05, as several key sectors lagged significantly behind.
The Health Services Division implemented just around 21鈥�22 percent of its allocation, while the Health, Education and Family Welfare Division, among others, registered similarly poor outcomes. On the other hand, sectors such as Power, Agriculture, and Energy performed notably better.
Experts and officials attribute the underperformance to political turmoil and administrative disruptions following mass protests in July-August 2024.
The interim government undertook austerity measures, trimmed ADP size by approximately Tk 490 billion and restructured many development projects. Project directors and contractors absent following regime changes further hampered execution.
With development spending at these critically low levels, economists warn of adverse effects on economic recovery and public service delivery, particularly in health and education sectors, where performance was notably weak.
