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$625 m loan for ’98-99 likely

ADB asks Dhaka to prioritise projects
Asian Development Bank has indicated that it would lend 625 million US dollars for 1998 and 1999 to Bangladesh, but asked for carefully prioritising the projects in view of limited available resources, reports UNB.
ADB's Country Programme Confirmation Mission, which visited the country recently, held preliminary discussion with the government about the 1998-2000 programmes including a list of new proposals submitted by different ministries.
It said there is clearly need for prioritisation of the pipeline as well as substantial co-financing particularly for the larger energy and infrastructure project.
While pledging continued assistance to Bangladesh, the Bank asked the government to carry out such prioritisation exercise so that the demand for lending assistance more adequately matches the availability of Bank resources for Bangladesh.
Officials said the Mission also indicated that there is a need to maintain an even balance between economic growth and social, poverty, environment-oriented projects during the next programming cycle.
It said subject to the availability of Aslan Development Fund (ADF). the soft loan window. the Indicated Planning - FigtueJlPF), for 1998 and J 999 amounted to 300 million and 325 million US dollars respectively.
At this stage, the 1998-99 pipeline amounts to about US dlrs 950 million, against combined IPF of 625 million dollar.
In view of the ADF resources availability, officials said the Bank noted that careful prioritising of the programmes is necessary and advised the government to arrange co-financing in the ADB-assisted projects. The donor agency will make new lending in six projects in infrastructure and social sectors. The areas are: Agriculture, infrastructure, energy, education. urban development and environment protection sectors.
ADB's total lending to Bangladesh amounts to 4.509.20 million US dollar up to December 1997 for 117 loans and grant in the form of technical assistance to 105.47 million dollar for 209 projects.
Under three separate agreements signed on January 9. the ADB pledged 256 million dollar to co-finance three major projects in Bangladesh. The projects are: The 9th power project. Jamuna Bridge Access Roads Project and Forestry Sector Project.
It said there is substantial scope for increasing private sector's role in infrastructure financing as well as improving the environment for efficient public-private partnership for infrastructural development.
The main features of the 1998-99 pipeline as initially discussed with the government by the ADB mission include Southwest Area Water Resources and Kalni-Kushyara River Management projects In the agriculture sector.
Ttie mission, however, indicated that the timely delivery of these two loans will be contingent to institutional improvements of the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
A third rural infrastructure loan has also been included in 1998 together with PPTAs for a
Second Small-Scale Water Resources Development Sector Loan, a rural cooperative project. and Fourth Rural Infrastructure Project
The main current proposals for the 1998-2000 period include a sector type of loan for rehabilitation and expansion of Chittagong Port, a third road improvement project as well as a PPTA for a fourth road improvement project (priority stretches include Khulna-Mawa. completing of priority sections on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, and feeder roads on the Myinensirtgh-As-sam of India route).
The Communications Ministry showed keen interest in developing the Dhaka bypass on a Btifld Ovn Operate/Build Own Transfer (BOO/BOT) basis. The Bank is willing to assist, both during bid solicitation and investment phases.
The main ADB operations over the 1998-99 period will be for the 4th Natural Gas Project and the 1 Oth Power Project.
The gas project will increase the efficiency of resource use and support policy reform in the sector while the power project will add 400 megawatt peak power capacity to the country's power system and also provide tor evacuation and utilisation of power from second private sector BOO/BOT project.
As a follow-on project to the ongoing higher secondary education project and the sec ondary education development project, a PPTA for a secondary education sector project covering the entire secondary cycle of grades 6 to 12 is proposed to
start in 1997 for a possible loan in 1999. supplemented by a teacher training project.
Officials said the ADB will continue to give priority to urban development over the 1998-2000 period. The programme already includes an urban development sector loan in 1998-99 aimed at providing improved urban Infrastructure in selected secondary towns and municipalities as well as a Third Water Supply and Sanitation project in 15 district headquarters.
The Bank is also supporting a long term programme for reform of land administration, through a series of technical assistances, culminating in a possible investment project in 1999-2000.
Environment protection will continue to be one of the key objectives of the Bank's strategy in Bangladesh. The Bank's approach to environment protection will continue to be action oriented with the Kcipal focus at the sector through stand-alone environment projects and integration of Important environmental dimensions into other relevant projects.
The 1998-2000 pipeline cur rently includes one major environment project for Biodiver sity Conservation in the Sun-darbans (1998).
Initial areas include. Biodiversity Conservation in the North-East region. Chittagong Integrated Watershed Management, Coastal Wild Life Preser vation. and Impact Assessment of Environmental Degradation In South-West Coastal Region