First ECNEC meeting of FY20 approves 13 projects

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a total of 13 projects involving Taka 77.44 billion at its first meeting of the current fiscal year (FY 2019-20).

The meeting was held on Tuesday at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “Of the total project cost, Taka 64.15 billion will come from the government of Bangladesh, Taka 1.89 billion from the organisation’s own fund while the rest Taka 11.40 billion from project assistance,”

The minister informed that 10 projects, out of the approved 13 ones, are new while the remaining three are revised projects.

Among the approved 13 projects, the ECNEC meeting approved a project to strengthen and expand the power transmission system in Chattogram region with Taka 13.59 billion.

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh will implement the Power Transmission system extension and strengthening system in Chattogram project by June 2022 in a bid to upgrade the power transmission system infrastructures at Anwara, Patia, Hathazari and Chattogram City.

The objectives of the project are to facilitate evacuation of produced power to the national grid from the power plants at Anwara upazila and thus meeting the growing demand of power at Chattogram city and the adjacent industrial, residential and commercial areas.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide Taka 9.25 billion for the project.

Besides, the minister said, the meeting approved a proposal to extend the timeframe of a project without increasing the cost. The project is titled “Establishment of three handloom service centres in different loom intensive area (2nd revised)”.