Finance
ECNEC ECNEC approves 9 projects at a cost of Tk 5,239 crore
Dhaka, June 1: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved nine projects costing around Tk 5,239.62 crore. Of this, Tk 5,004.39 crore will come from government funding and Tk 235.23 crore from foreign sources. The projects were approved at a virtual ECNEC meeting chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (June 1).
The approved projects are: Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges 'Upgradation of Kushtia (Trimohoni) -Meherpur-Chuadanga-Jhenaidah (R-845) Regional Highway from Kushtia to Meherpur at appropriate quality and width' project;
Ministry of Home Affairs 'Border Guard Bangladesh's newly formed Narayanganj (72 BGB) Battalion construction of various infrastructural facilities' project;
'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observation Center' project in the Ministry of Science and Technology; Prime Minister's Office (3rd Amendment) 'project;
Ministry of Food's 'Bangladesh Safe Food Capacity Enhancement' project;
Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives 'Integrated Rural Employment Assistance Project for Poor Women-Phase-II (Erespo-Phase-II)' project;
Ministry of Water Resources 'project to protect banks of Meghna river from erosion in Barakheri and Ludhuabazar and Kader Pandit's Hat areas under Ramgati and Kamalnagar upazilas of Laxmipur district';
Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources 'Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Project (PGCB Part: Matarbari-Madunaghat 400 KV Transmission Line (1st Amendment)' project;
And the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs 'Income Generating (IGA) Training for Women at Upazila Level (2nd Amendment)' project.
Meanwhile, Planning Minister MA Mannan has approved 167 projects in his own power.
He was sworn in as the Planning Minister on January 7, 2019. His two-and-a-half years as planning minister are coming to an end.
Only the planning minister among the ministers of the government can approve projects below Tk 50 crore in his own power. After the approval of the Planning Minister, it is necessary to inform the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). No other minister in the government alone has the power to approve such projects.
