Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities to quicken the disposal of the tax-related cases pending at the High Court since their conclusion has the potential to generate a lot of money for the government.
The premier gave the directive at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). Planning Minister MA Mannan shared it at a press briefing after the meeting at the ministry.
For all latest news, follow The My News’s Google News channel. The prime minister also ordered to adjust the cost of various development projects in line with market prices, Mannan said.
The premier instructed ministries and divisions to consider the latest exchange rate of the US dollar before preparing the draft of development projects since the rate often influences the overall expenditure.
The prices of construction materials such as steel, cement, stones and bricks are witnessing an uptrend, meaning the cost of projects might go up during their implementation.
The premier also instructed ministries and divisions to consider the latest exchange rate of the US dollar before preparing the draft of development projects
Mannan said that the premier had noted that this could happen in the growing global economy.
He said Sheikh Hasina, in this regard, asked the authorities, including the finance ministry, to revise the schedule of rates as per requirements and the changing prices of construction materials, according to BSS.
“The prime minister has clearly directed the finance ministry and other concerned agencies to address these issues.”
Referring to a project that is constructing Urirchar-Noakhali Cross Dam, Mannan said that the prime minister strongly asked the water resources ministry to remain cautious while dealing with the scheme since coastal areas are involved.
She cautioned that the adjacent islands, areas and channels should not be disturbed during the implementation, he said, adding that the premier asked the authorities to work in a coordinated manner in order to avoid any duplication.
“If there is any overlap, there can be misuse of funds,” Mannan quoted the prime minister as saying.
She said the “My Village, My Town” project is a pilot scheme and its experiments could be useful in the future, according to the planning minister.
No further projects would be taken in the future under the same title and all concerned agencies should work in a coordinated way, he said, quoting the prime minister.
Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said that the “My Village, My Town” project has been taken based on the findings of a study.
A total of 15 projects involving Tk 18,010 crore were approved at the Ecnec meeting.