Tk 33.56cr deal signed with UNDP
A Tk 33.56 crore agreement to address some key concerns of development partners and policymakers on aid management was signed between Bangladesh and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday.
The agreement over the project titled “Strengthening Capacity for Aid Effectiveness in Bangladesh” would be implemented by Economic Relations Division (ERD) over the next four years from September 2011 to June 2015.
ERD Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, on behalf of the government, and UNDP County Director Stefan Priesner inked the agreement at ERD in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
UNDP signed the agreement on behalf of 18 development organisations including DFID and DANIDA, who already committed to fund the project. Several other development partners expressed their firm interest to join the project.
Development aid constitutes around 50 percent of the Annual Development Plan of Bangladesh, said UNDP Assistant Country Director KAM Morshed while speaking at the programme.
A recent ERD study titled “Aid Management in Bangladesh: A review of policies and procedures” identified several areas of improvement in the way aid is managed and utilised in the country.
“The unique nature of the project is the effort to materialise a joint commitment made by 18 development partners of Bangladesh,” said Stefan.
DFID Country Representative Gwen Hines said, “This is an important step towards maximising the impact of development aid provided to Bangladesh and enhancing transparency to see what is being done and what results are delivered.
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