The foreign aid-supported projects are coming under the government's close scrutiny as the new finance minister will review progress next week, officials said on Thursday.
AHM Mustafa Kamal is likely to sit with line ministries and executing agencies concerned on Sunday in a bid to speed up implementation of the mega projects.
The Economic Relations Division (ERD) will host the meeting at its office where he may ask the agencies to execute the projects effectively, they said.
"The minister is expected to hear from the ministries and agencies on their project execution status. Then he may call them for quality execution," said ERD secretary Monowar Ahmed.
"According to its election manifesto, the new government wants to ensure effective development of the country. So, Sunday's meeting will facilitate the expected development," he told the FE.
The agencies concerned under different ministries are implementing foreign aid-supported projects like Japan-funded MRT line-6, Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Ghundum rail project, World Bank-funded Bus Rapid Transit.
They are also executing ADB-funded Joydevpur-Elenga and Elenga-Rangpur four-lane road upgradation project, and Indian credit and Chinese government-funded projects.
Mr Ahmed said the meeting is expected to discuss not only fast-track projects, but also some other mega projects sponsored by external development partners.
Meanwhile, many foreign aid-supported projects are struggling for implementation due to reasons like complex project approval process, land acquisition, procurement and fund disbursement.
In most cases, the implementers have failed to complete project work within stipulated time resulting in time and cost overrun.
Another official said the ERD after a series of meetings and negotiations confirmed external aid, but there have been delays in project implementation for lack of capacity.
Such delays are also ballooning up the unutilised foreign assistance in the pipeline, he told the FE.
The official said the agencies sought higher funds during preparation of the Annual Development Programme of the current fiscal year, 2018-19.
But they are now (halfway through the fiscal) seeking to lower foreign aid allocation against different projects for their failure to utilise the funds.
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