The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has awarded three of its best performing project teams in Bangladesh as part of its efforts to promote efficient project implementation.
‘Second Crop Diversification Project’ executed jointly by the Department of Agricultural Extension and Bangladesh Bank, and ‘Second Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Sector Project’ executed by the Local Government Engineering Department won the award.Besides, ‘Sustainable Power Sector Development Project’ executed jointly by the Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Northwest Power Generation Company Limited, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited, and Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance also got the award.
The best project team recognition program was initiated in 2001 to promote development effectiveness of the Manila-based money lender’s projects in Bangladesh.
“The project teams were selected for efficiency, results delivery, effective project implementation, efforts to empower women, transparency, and other criteria”, said Stefan Ekelund, Officer-in-Charge for ADB’s Bangladesh Resident Mission.
Ekelund gave away the award to the winners on Wednesday.
The Second Crop Diversification Project, with $40 million in ADB assistance, is helping to develop high-value crops that will boost poor farmers’ incomes and support the nation’s food security.
The project focuses on crops with proven market demand, high profitability, and potential for commercialization, including fruits, vegetables, pulses, spices, cut flowers, potted plants and value-added agro-products.
The project is being implemented in 27 districts in the southwest and northwest of Bangladesh – including some of the poorest, least developed and most climate-vulnerable areas.
ADB is supporting the Second Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Sector Project with $87 million in loans to expand access to, and delivery of water, and sanitation, solid waste management and other basic services in selected municipalities, including slum areas.
The Sustainable Power Sector Development Program, with $465 million in ADB assistance, is helping Bangladesh to improve quality of supply, and further reduce system losses leading to more efficient use of energy and making more power available to support sustained economic growth, while offsetting growth in greenhouse gas emissions.
Just in Dhaka area, over 820,000 consumers will be benefited with reliable power supply, which will help manufacturing and service industries, including the garment sector that employs several million poor people.
The programme is also helping to develop capacity of the power sector to improve utility performance and promote sustainable operations.
As of Dec last year, ADB assistance to Bangladesh amounted to over $900 million a year – having 58 ongoing loans with a net loan amount of $5.19 billion.
As one of the lead development partners in energy, transport, water supply and sanitation, education and natural resources sectors, ADB’s cumulative lending to Bangladesh amounts to $15.13 billion for 246 loans, while the technical assistance includes 432 projects amounting to $238.19 million.-bdnews24.com
