Non-transparency in governance

The Dhaka City Corp is a big defaulter, with grey projects, where the QC (quality control) is poor. Now meaningless projects are approved to make the city more beautiful No disciplinary actions are ever announced in the media. Also, in the ADP, the mega projects are retendered several times, in a questionable manner, presumably to favour certain earmarked tenderers. Then there is the tendency to amend the tender conditions midway. Political jealousies do not encourage continuity of projects approved by the preceding regime for implementation. The motivation is not a conundrum---the 'commission' culture.

Now businessmen prefer to import goods available locally, to make more profit, through questionable documentation and palm greasing. The import policy is lax on import of non-essential items; and proper protective levies are not imposed to discourage wastage of precious foreign exchange, (imagine import of fruit juices from several thousand miles away, of which more than 90 per cent is water! Why not import the powder or raw materials, and do the processing locally?).

One big neighbour is capturing some vital sectors through exports, and the adverse trade balance is reaching more than one billion taka. No comment from the regulators! The bilateral talks are a sham, when there is no change of heart/approach.

Where there is scope for private gains, the national goals are skipped. Besides, Bangladesh is rich in natural energy reserves, hence foreign groups are always achieving ways and means of dubious entries with questionable offers and recommendations from the donor agencies. The absence of the Opposition in the JS allows the official regulators to reap dubious windfalls. The civil service has apparently no accountability. Several of the five dozen ministers do not know how to spend the time in enhanced public services.

Now there are internal factions within the parties in the regime for local control of development funds (DS, Aug 3). The transparency of the working of the PMO needs more publicity, for awareness, and to remove misunderstanding and doubts.

The regime relies too heavily on one tool or weapon for establishing good image; announce more and more projects. The system losses at the routine level of daily administration is woeful. The counter services in the government offices is abysmal, because the ministers and the MPs are not interested in non-projects. Attacking the opponents is not enough even for pass marks!

Prediction: there would no official feedback on this public feedback from a voter!