The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has rejected a proposal of the Ministry of Communications to make an allocation of Tk 2.42 billion for the purpose of repairing the Bangabandhu Bridge due to fund constraints, official sources said.
As an alternative, the finance ministry has asked the communications ministry to increase the rate of existing tolls collected from the users of the Bridge to mobilise required fund for repairing the cracks developed on the bridge, constructed in 1998.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith rejected the proposal on Wednesday last and asked the communications ministry to devise a strategy to enhance the rate of existing toll by at least 40 per cent.
"Our minister (Muhith) has refused to sanction Tk 2.42 billion as sought by the communications ministry to repair Bangabandhu Bridge as the government cannot afford to provide extra amount of money now to any government agency from the revenue budget," a high official in the MoF told the FE.
He said the communications ministry has in the meanwhile spent almost full amount of money earmarked for them in the revenue budget. Besides, no disbursement can be made against any project from the development budget if it is not included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP), he added.
The communications ministry in mid October sought the fund from the MoF out of the revenue budget of the government.
Officials in the finance ministry said, the bank borrowing of the government is on the rise and if the trend continues the borrowing of the government would overshoot the annual target by next month.
"We will communicate our decision to communications ministry soon asking them to arrange fund on its own," another finance official said.
"We are in favour of enhancing the existing rates of toll by 40 per cent to help the ministry arrange the required fund itself," he added.
Meanwhile, a high official in communications ministry said, the Bangabandhu Bridge is in a poor shape now. A good number of cracks are visible on the bridge and the cracks might widen, making the Bridge risky for movement of vehicles if the same are not repaired immediately.
On increasing tolls, the official said the rates of toll were revised upward in last September and any further increase is not possible now.
According to the new rates, the toll ranges between Tk 40 and Tk 1400 per vehicle, depending on the types of vehicles using the Bangabandhu Bridge.
Source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com
Read More on prothom alo dhaka
No comments:
Post a Comment