Nice try to create false narrative "taking bribe even from the Japan government".
It's other way around, Awami league regime inflate the cost by $2 billion in connection with Japanese company. It is awami league regime which decided on cost and contract award. Japanese govt only rubber stamped on loan.
Injudicious spending harbours corruption
Published: 00:05, Jan 16,2018
THE power sector in Bangladesh is mired in controversy. Different projects initiated by the incumbent while promises to bring power to all corners of the country are not lauded by many mainly because of the mishandlings in the financial management of these projects. It is because of flawed and faulty planning, even before implementation the cost of building power plants increased significantly.
The cost of 1,200 MW coal-fired Matarbari power plant, as reported in New Age on Monday, is set to increase up to Tk 50,000 crore, almost double the initial estimated cost. The project primarily comprises of construction of a deep sea port with coal handling facilities for coal import, coal storage, power plant construction. In 2014, the National Economic Council approved the project with a revised budget of Tk 35,984 crore. Now, as the construction begins the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources vaguely tries to justify the abnormal escalation of cost stating undue delay, soil treatment of the project area, and expansion of the scope of the project as the contributing factors. Considering that there are already reported allegations of corruption and intransparency in its implementation, such dubiously explained rise in the cost surely raises serious concern.
Since the inception of Matarbari coal-fired power plant, there are allegations of corruption in land acquisition and international bidding process. The Japan-funded project shortlisted two Japanese companies for bidding for engineering, procurement and construction contract; however, question remains whether the process was competitive enough as contract was expected to be awarded through international bidding.
Eventually, the contract was awarded to a Japanese consortium that has a partner with negative asset that was a violation of bid evaluation criteria and the JICA procurement guideline. It goes without saying that the process was undoubtedly intransparent.
Besides, in November, 2014, a case was filed against several district administrators of Cox’s Bazar on charge of embezzling Tk 20 crore of Matarbari coal-fired power plant project. It is because of such pervasive corruption that energy experts, anti corruption campaigners and consumer rights advocates fear that such high cost power project would ultimately raise the price of electricity defying originally intended purpose of the project that is to reduce the price. They also fear that such projects appear more as an opportunity for material gain for a vested quarter, than real advancement of the power sector in Bangladesh.
Therefore, such unexplainable spending of public money raises serious concern about the real intent of the concerned authorities. It appears to be a ploy for corruption.
In addition to the concern about the injudicious spending of public money in the construction of Matarbari plant, the incumbent must also address the question of environmental impact of coal fired plant, particularly at a time when globally even the developed nations are withdrawing and unwinding their coal-fired power generation projects. The incumbent must not rush to implementation of this project without resolving the allegations of corruption and irregularities and thoroughly reviewing the environmental impact of coal-fired plants.
http://www.newagebd.net/article/32654/injudicious-spending-harbours-corruption
