Dhaka: The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday is likely to approve a Tk 92,500 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the 2015-16 fiscal year’s budget, giving highest priority to the transport sector considering the development of the communication sector and the implementation of the Padma Bridge project.

NEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting to be held at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Out of the proposed ADP allocation, Tk 58,000 crore will come from the local sources while Tk 34,500 crore from project assistance, said a highly placed source at the Ministry of Planning.

The proposed new ADP for FY16 is Tk 12,185.48 crore or 15.17 percent higher than the original ADP size of Tk 80,314.52 crore in the FY15 and also Tk 17,500 crore or 23.33 percent higher than the revised ADP allocation of Tk 75,000 crore in FY15.

The official also said that the proposed ADP would also have Tk 3,996.92 crore allocation against the ongoing self-financed projects funded by the autonomous bodies and corporations thus raising the overall ADP size to Tk 96,496.92 crore.

The Planning Ministry official said that the transport sector would get the highest allocation of Tk 20,235.91 crore or 21.88 percent of the ADP allocation followed by the

Power sector with Tk 15,485.17 crore or 16.74 percent of the allocation, physical planning, water supply and housing sector with 3^rd highest Tk 10,458.89 crore or 11.31

percent, education and religious sector with Tk 10,039.03 crore or 10.85 percent, rural development and rural institution sector with Tk 8,433.91 crore or 9.12 percent, health, nutrition, population and social welfare sector with Tk 6,081.18 crore or 6.57 percent of the ADP outlay while the agriculture sector would get Tk 4,734.96 crore or 5.12 percent of the ADP outlay.

The fresh ADP for the next fiscal year would have some 1123 projects including 854 investment projects, 132 technical assistance projects, 12 projects from the Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) and 125 projects from the autonomous bodies and corporation’s own fund.

The proposed new ADP also kept some 857 unapproved projects without allocation at the green page of the ADP while some 382 unapproved new projects have been kept subject to the availability of fund from project assistance.

Besides, some 40 projects would be kept for implementation under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative.

A planning commission member wishing anonymity said that with the implementation of the proposed ADP, it is expected that the target of socio-economic development and

economic growth will be achieved through expansion of the economic activities, creating more employment opportunities, development in the transport and communication sector, power and energy sector development, improvement in health and education, human resource development, rural infrastructures development, ensuring food security and poverty alleviation.

Earlier on 7 May, the extended meeting of the Planning Commission with Planning Minister and Planning Commission Vice Chairman AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair recommended the Tk 92,500 crore ADP for the next fiscal year for consideration in Thursday’s NEC meeting.