Bill seeking major changes in PPP Authority placed in parliament

The government on Thursday brought a bill in the parliament seeking to make major changes in the role of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority of the country in exercise of financial and administrative powers and performance of functions.

The bill titled "The Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP) (amendment) Bill, 2023" was placed in the House by Liberation Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq who is in charge of Prime Minister Office in parliament.

It was then sent to the respective committe for further scrutiny and send it back to the House within 30 days.

The existing law states that PPP Authority shall be impartial and independent in exercise of financial and administrative powers and performance of functions.

But in the proposed amendment the word ‘independent’ has been dropped.

The Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, 2015 was enacted to create a partnership with private sector by attracting local and foreign investment aimed at improving living standard of the people and expediting the country's socioeconomic progress as well as building infrastructures.

The amendment also proposed to allow vice-chairperson in absence of the chairperson of the PPP Authority to chair any meeting and the number of the meeting per year will be at least two.

The bill also seeks to change the appointing authority of the PPP Authority from Board of Governors to the government.