Published: 14 June 2025
Dhaka, June 14, 2025: The World Bank's Executive Board has approved a financing of US$250 million to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in the public sector in Bangladesh.
The project, titled Strengthening Institutions for Transparency and Accountability (SITA), will support ongoing reform efforts in Bangladesh's key government sectors, including modernization, information transparency, revenue collection, public investment management, public procurement, and financial oversight.
Under this project, the governance structure and capacity of five key government agencies - Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, National Board of Revenue, Planning Department, Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority, and the Office of the Auditor General and Comptroller General - will be strengthened.
"This investment will help increase transparency and reduce corruption by digitizing business processes. This will help Bangladesh build modern government institutions that are capable of meeting the needs of an emerging economy," said Gail Martin, acting country director for the World Bank in Bangladesh.
"This project will improve the quality and accessibility of government services, and thereby increase public trust in government institutions."
The World Bank said that in addition to this project, discussions are underway with Bangladesh for another development policy loan, which will be presented for board discussion later this month. It will provide support for improving revenue collection, the banking sector, information storage and distribution, public investment management, social service delivery, and audit and accountability transparency.
The SITA project will complement these activities and build the institutional capacity needed to implement these important reforms.
"Working with five key government agencies in a coordinated strategy will greatly enhance government effectiveness, which is crucial for sustainable economic growth," said Souleymane Coulibaly, World Bank Chief Economist and project team leader.
He added, "This project and the proposed development loan will complement each other and help the government build the necessary technical and institutional capacity to ensure modern financial management and effective service delivery."
The World Bank has been one of Bangladesh's major development partners since independence. To date, it has provided more than $45 billion in grants, interest-free and low-interest loans to Bangladesh.
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