The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has given final approval to 10 projects. The total expenditure for the implementation of these projects has been estimated at Tk 2 thousand 216 crores and 75 lacs. Of this, Tk 1 thousand 875 crores and 57 lacs will be spent from government funds, and Tk 341 crores and 18 lacs from foreign aid.
The approval was given at a regular weekly meeting of ECNEC chaired by ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the NEC conference room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Tuesday (28 June). The Prime Minister attended the meeting via video conference from her official residence Ganobhaban.
After the meeting, Minister of Planning MA Mannan briefed reporters. State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam was present at the time.
Shamsul Alam extended congratulations and best wishes to the Prime Minister for inaugurating the Padma Bridge. At the same time, he also congratulated the Finance Secretary for being appointed as a governor.
MA Mannan said, ‘New projects will not be taken now. However, the old projects need to be renovated and straightened out.’ He said that the domestic and global demand for spices is increasing day by day. Its market value is also higher than other crops.
At present, the market of spices in Bangladesh is worth about Tk 30 thousand crores. About 50 types of spices are used in the country, but only 7 types of spice crops are produced in the country. For this reason, the lion’s share of the country’s domestic demand is met through imports. In this case, there is a need to increase the production of spices permanently to reduce import dependence. To this end, the project of expansion of improved varieties and technology of spices has been taken up. He said that Bangladesh Spice Research Center has so far developed 47 varieties of 22 spice crops.
The Minister of Planning said that 66 advanced technologies including soil and water management, insect and disease management, and postharvest technology have been developed to increase production. If these varieties and technologies can be expanded at the field level, the production of spices and the income of farmers will increase in the country. Along with that, import dependence can be reduced. He said that the project will be implemented in 110 upazilas and 25 horticulture centres in the country.
The total cost of the advanced variety of spices and technology expansion project is Tk 119 crores and 50 lacs. The project will be implemented from July 2022 to June 2027 and will be funded entirely by the government.
Other projects approved by ECNEC are sustainable agricultural extension projects in the Jessore region. Kushtia (Trimohoni) -Meherpur-Chuadanga-Jhenaidah Regional Highway 81 km rail-market railway overpass construction project. Construction of PC girder bridge and RCC box culvert on the site of dilapidated, narrow Bailey Bridge on Pirojpur section of Charkhali-Tuskhali-Mathbaria-Patharghata highway.
Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf marine drive road widening project. Railway overpass construction project in the gate area of Jamalpur city. The construction project of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court building in 64 district headquarters of Bangladesh.
Besides, MES’s physical infrastructure expansion project in Dhaka Cantonment has been approved. Water supply and sanitation emergency assistance project in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar. The Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf road project was approved by the ECNEC.
