The World Bank’s projects in Bangladesh are being implemented at 40 per cent lower efficiency than the global average, according to a report of Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (SAPRI).

"In its lending. Staff-Years (SYs) spent on every approved projects in Bangladesh were almost 40 per cent higher than the Bank’s global average. Bangladesh’s project completion rates were over twice the South Asian average, and 4.3 times the Bank-wide average." said the report titled "Towards Demystifying a Process: The Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) in Bangladesh."

The primary measure used by the Bank for estimating efficiency of its assistance programme is staff years (SYs).

The SAP review, carried out by Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya and Rashed A. M. Titumir, revealed that 12.5 per cent of the on-going portfolio of the Bank was given a "problem rating" in FY80. which climbed to a peak of 29.5 per cent In FY86 to re-

main pegged for the rest of the eighties.

The proportion of problemrated projects has declined during the nineties to 21.4 per cent in FY96. which is still above the Bank’s global average.

Project execution has been Identified by the Bank as a persistent problem, negatively affecting implementation of the Bank’s development assistance strategies.

Regarding the implementation status, the SAPRI working paper Informed that the disbursement ratio for Bangladesh was still below the Bank’s global average of 18.8 per cent, though it Improved to 17.3 per cent in FY96 from the average of about 11 per cent throughout the eighties.

Of the 63 projects evaluated by the Bank’s Operation Evaluation Department (OED) during 1980-96. 24 or 38 per cent were rated "unsatisfactory", compared to the Bank’s global average of 33 per cent, the SAPRI paper informed.

Against the backdrop of the dismal performance of WB-as-sisted projects in Bangladesh, the Bank has advised its operational wing to complete ’most of the required actions’ needed for satisfactory implementation before the approval of the projects by WB board.

The dismal performance of the Bank’s projects was attributed to "administrative log-Jams in the country, lack of full commitment to the projects and deficient project preparation and design." in Country Assistance Review (CAR). WB’s internal report.

"Bangladesh requires over 50 per cent more calendar time to take a project from its conception to the World Bank’s Board approval." a study on structural adjustment policies (SAP) said.

While assessing the Country Assistance Strategies (CASs) for Bangladesh over the last 15 years, the WB put marginally satisfactory ratings to the ’appropriateness of instru-

inents proposed."

Although evolving CASs have reflected growing appreciation of Issues such as political economy and governance over the years, it failed to cast back the failure or success of the past experiences.

While political economy and governance issues were less appreciated during the first half of eighties, the sensitivity to these issues now tops the list.

The review informed that "appropriateness of instruments proposed" received "marginally satisfactory" ratings for three five consecutive years, beginning from 1980.

The review, known as Country Assistance Review, gave "highly-satisfactory" ratings to the Bank's strategies during 1991-96 for reflecting sensitivity to political economy and governance issues, the working paper added. The CAR was carried out from FY80 to FY96 to evaluate the relevance and efficacy of the Bank’s assistance to Bangladesh. The CAR covered sixteen years and 93 projects.