The government has received foreign aid to the tune of US$ 1.98 billion in first ten months up to April this fiscal as the major donors including World Bank and Japan have extended substantial assistance, officials said Thursday.
The aid flow to Bangladesh through the government channel during July-April period of the current financial year (FY) 2012-13 is $377 million, higher than $1.60 million, disbursed in the corresponding period last fiscal, Economic Relations Division (ERD) data showed.
"The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency have disbursed impressive assistance. So the aid inflow to the country has showed remarkable increase," said a senior ERD official.
The country's largest bilateral donor JICA has disbursed $320.89 million aid till April of the outgoing fiscal, compared to less than $100 million in the corresponding period last fiscal, he told the FE.
Besides, the WB has disbursed $546 million and the ADB $467 million loans and grants during July-April period of the current FY2013.
Out of the total $1.98 billion assistance, received by the Bangladesh government in the first 10 months, $1.51 billion has come as loans and $467.09 million as grant in July-April period of the FY2013, ERD statistic showed.
According to the ERD data, the commitment of external assistance from the multilateral and bilateral donors during July-April of the current fiscal have also increased to $5.12 billion, $714.53 million up from the same period last FY2012.
In the same period of last FY 2012, the donors made commitment of $4.40 billion loans and grants for utilising in the infrastructure development and cutting poverty.
Out of the $5.12 billion committed aid in the first 10 months of the current fiscal, the donors have confirmed $4.55 billion loans and $567.73 million grants.
Bangladesh in the same period (July-April) has repaid $978.23 million as interest and principal amount against the total outstanding medium and long term (MLT) loans till date, $173.57 million higher than the last FY2010-11, ERD data showed.
Out of the repayments, $802.47 million was repaid as principal amount of the outstanding loans and the rest $175.75 million as interests.
A senior ERD official said they are hopeful of receiving $2.68 billion foreign assistance by the end of the current financial year against different development programmes and projects.
The government has targeted US$2.8 billion worth of foreign aid inflow from its bilateral and multilateral donors during July 2012 to June 2013.
