Post Budege Policy Brief English Final
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Policy Brief WASH budget scenario in proposed National Budget FY 2020-21 Dhaka, 28 June 2020 Proposed Annual budget for FY 2020-2021 allocation still remains in some awareness (placed in the Parliament) needs to allocate creating and knowledge sharing activities, and required budget for WASH sector focusing on environmental issues, and hardly covering the Hygiene in the wake of deadly COVID-19 full essence and spirit needed on hygiene in true pandemic. While establishing equity and sense. justice by reducing long-standing inequities ● Moreover, it was urged in a press conference between urban and rural, and within the Pre-budget Policy Brief (published on 08 June urban centres. 2020) that budget must prioritize hygiene as a ● The steady growth and upward trend in key area in the light COVID-19 experience and WASH budget allocation continues in complexities of SDG 6 attainment. Request was FY2020-21 Annual Development Programme made to make availability of clean water and (ADP) like the previous years with an increase soap in every household. Demonstration of of Tk1431.78 crore from revised ADP of water and basin with soap for hand-wash in FY2019-20. Apart from ADP allocation, health public places, markets, bus stoppages, etc. was sector receives a block fund of Tk10,000 also recommended. crore to handle COVID-19 pandemic impacts. FY 2019-20 Budget put priority on sanitation This year ADP involves Tk205,145 crore with focus on transport, education, agriculture and overlooked hygiene. Similarly, in FY 2020-21 sectors including health. water and sanitation got larger share whereas hygiene receives a small amount sharing with ● According to proposed budget of FY 2020-21, some environmental initiatives. Figure-1 below the Health Services division would get a total finds little change in allocation within the WASH of Tk22,883 crore, containing operating sub-sectors in last 5 years including FY2020-21. expenditure (Tk12,830 crore) and development expenditure (Tk10,053 crore) However, there is steady rise in allocation of from the ADP. On the other hand, the Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), a positive Medical Education and Family Welfare sign indeed. Division will get a total of Tk6,363 crore for 600000 Figure-1: 5 Years Trend in WASH Allocation by Sub-Sectors (Tk in lac) operating expenditure (Tk3,917 crore) and 522835 500000 development expenditure (Tk2,446 crore). 400000 378004 321160 360183 321160 ● Focusing on human resource development 312546 290185 the budget has proposed Tk400.58 crore to 300000 291091 184574 Health Service Division and Tk203.97 crore to 200000 178840 166352 159409 111367 103460 Medical Education and Family Welfare 92512 79871 100000 82168 70080 56988 55893 52500 34741 37614 36564 33000 Division for personnel training. 27876 19000 19950 15350 7500 1300 0 0 0 0 0 Water Sanitation FSM Awareness Hygiene/ Rist Reduction Capacity Building ● However, government’s commitment on Environment hygiene issue is not so clear. This foremost Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of area recognized as a solution and first line of defense to avoid COVID-19 transmission has not yet received proper attention as a sub-sector within WASH. Government’s ADP Figure-2 below shows that 43% of FY2020-21 It is Gazipur City Corporation who receives WASH allocation goes to make drinking water unparalleled allocation in proposed FY2020-21. available where hygiene gets only <5% and Even Chattogram known as country’s second capacity building 3% only. capital receives very little amount. On the other hand, huge amount, almost double, was allocated 3% 3% Figure-2: % of Allocation within WASH for DSCC which is unprecedented in revision case 5% sub-sectors of FY2020- 2021 8% (revised FY2019-20) just few months of budget closing. Similar thing happened for Chattogram Water Sanitation 43% during revised budget of FY 2018-19. To uphold FSM Awareness Hygiene/ Rist Reduction equity and justice an there is no other alternative 15% Environment but to follow a guideline of equitable distribution Capacity Building of resources for the citizens all over the country. Total WASH budget: 122.27 billion taka Figure-5: 3 Years Trend in WASH Project Allocation by City Corporations (Tk in lac) 24% 200000 150000 159700 107837 106479 100000 84000 68000 68000 67500 36500 25000 35000 34000 50000 25275 10900 21768 21268 16112 4207 2772 14900 6364 3000 7683 2000 2000 10000 6000 2500 2000 6364 10000 10000 600 4489 3400 8700 1200 6363 1 8000 1200 3000 4000 2 Spatial inequities between and among urban 0 500 and rural, four WASAs and 11 City Corporations DNCC DSCC GCC CCC KCC SCC BCC RajCC RCC CuCC NCC GCC: Gazipur City Corporation DNCC: Dhaka North City Corporation KCC: Khulna City Corporation Allocation of 2020-21 DSCC: Dhaka South City Corporation remain constant as shown in the figures 3, 4 & 5. CCC: Chattogram City Corporation Revised Allocation of 2019-20 SCC: Sylhet City Corporation RCC: Rangpur City Corporation Allocation of 2019-20 BCC: Barishal City Corporation But equity and justice need to be upheld in all RajCC: Rajshahi City Corporation Revised Allocation of 2018-19 NCC: Narayangonj City Corporation such budget distributions in order to attain SDG CuCC: Cumilla City Corporation 6 and government’s commitments. Capacity of officials and management engaged in implementing ADP projects needs to be enhanced. Figure-3 below shows how the gap of deliveries Strong monitoring and supervision are important between urban and rural has been widened over for timely completion of projects to deliver the the years. fruits of projects undertaken. Figure-3: 5 Years Spatial Allocation by Urban and Rural (Taka in lac) Due attention is required to WASH delivery in hard 1200000 Urban Rural 1017792 to reach areas of the country. Figure-6 shows that 1000000 945483 709237 over the years the people of these remote areas 800000 516643 have been deprived. A handsome proposed 600000 400091 400000 247793 allocation in FY2020-21 in the coastal belt is seen 193014 134117 204986 200000 97572 may be because of a response to cyclone Amphan 0 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 that hit the land on 20 May 2020. There is some fund for the enclaves too. Revised Allocation Allocation Efficient implementation of future projects is key to Study also reveals that in five years’ period there ensuring WASH access. It is worth noting that DPHE happens to be almost no change in Urban (80% - has initiated a number of projects for hard to reach 83%) and Rural (20% -17%) allocation. areas that are listed in the green pages of the ADP Khulna WASA has been deprived continuously in (unapproved projects with no allocation in the last three allocations (Figure-4). FY2020-21 is no current ADP). Proper steps should be taken to exception. Rajshahi WASA trend is fluctuating. smoothly roll out these projects ensuring efficiency Big establishment projects, e.g., Dasherkandi in implementation. Sewerage Treatment Plant and Syadabad Water Figure-6 : 5 Years Trend in WASH allocation by hard-to-reach area (Tk in lac) Treatment Plant, of Dhaka WASA bring larger 40000 35000 39988 share but management has miserably failed to 30000 25000 complete the projects within the time frame. 20000 18794 15000 15018 10000 11555 Figure-4: 3 Years WASH Project Allocation by All WASA (Tk in lac) 5000 7150 5600 5216 4000 860 2500 2000 2009 2280 2135 2126 2000 1500 522 0 948 130 350000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 300000 271762 330092 229556 Costal Hill Char Haor Tea Garden Rohingya Enclaves 250000 Camps 200000 Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of Revised Allocation of 2019-2020 Allocation of 158576 150000 102880 112295 87566 100000 71565 58140 50000 57842 87839 There are major improvements in WASH allocation 4637 1146 6900 0 5000 1146 for climate vulnerable areas. It is encouraging to Revised Allocation of Allocation of 2019-20 Revised Allocation of Allocation of 2020-21 2018-19 2019-20 note that the government has been preparing a DWASA CWASA KWASA RWASA climate budget to track public expenditure on climate for the last few years. Water and Sanitation programme for climate vulnerable areas is covered Gaps and Challenges in this exercise, in line with the Bangladesh Climate ● Spatial inequity remains unchanged – Rural vs Change Strategy and Action Plan. Urban, among the 4 WASAs, among the City This year, the water and sanitation programme for Corporations, etc. Poor shouldn’t be left at the climate vulnerable areas has received an allocation mercy of market system during COVID-19 of nearly Tk 700 crore, a 26% increase from last situation. ● WASH services to hard-to-reach area yet to be year (Figure 7). The past figures show that there is ensured. a tendency to allocate a higher amount in the ● Hygiene is not recognized properly, remains revised budget, in contrast to other sectors where mostly untouched issue though maintaining revised allocations are generally lower. hygiene is the main focus area to fight COVID-19. Although the vast majority of the current allocation ● Budget for infrastructure development is on water and sanitation programme is for Local required, but capacity development remains an Government Division (LGD), there is zero allocation issue as not adequately addressed. for the Health Services division. This does not bode ● Complexities of implementation of SDG 6 well for WASH in local healthcare facilities, remains as a major challenge. undermining service delivery for the marginalized ● Political commitment needs to be ensured and groups. implemented. Figure 7: Allocation for Water and Sanitation programme for climate Recommendations vulnerable areas (in Taka billion) Recommendations here endorse too those made in the last policy brief.