WASME Board Members call on Industry Ministry
The minister mentioned developing skills through training and experiences of SME’s
The Board members of "World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME)", Bangladesh called on Industry Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, MP.
Led by WASME Head in Bangladesh SM Zillur Rahman the members met the minister on 7 March 2021 at the industry ministry, read a press release.
All the women becoming businesswomen in Bangladesh has accelerated the development and empowered more women in Bangladesh, the minister said.
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The minister mentioned developing skills through training and experiences of SME's. He advised WASME, Bangladesh for support by consulting in rural level -villages like the other different organizations performing their activities.
Maximum women have been involved in different kind of businesses and they are doing a value added jobs. They should get small and microfinance, he added.
SM Zillur Rahman proposed to include WASME Bangladesh with different department and corporation of the industry ministry as knowledge and capacity will develop with local and international experiences to support and develop the local stakeholders and entrepreneurs of Micro and Small Medium levels across the country.
They also submitted some key proposals for the development of SMEs:
- Fixing the SME Definition: The range of SME is too high so Banks finance only the large businesses and smaller ones are deprived of getting access to finance.
- Govt is promoting manufacturing businesses and discouraging trading business and due to definition Small retail shops are not getting the most needed financing. So, the definition of Trading needs to be clarified like:
- (a) Retailers (which are the small shops) &
- (b) Large Traders: Large Traders should be discouraged.
- Govt didn't allow loan moratorium from 21 January. Some small businesses are facing challenges. So, either moratorium should be allowed for one more quarter or more flexibility to be given to banks for loan restructuring/rescheduling.
The minister gave his kind consent to support WASME, Bangladesh by including in different program under the industry ministry.
Azfar Ali, Syed Abdul Monem, Rifat Mahmud, ASM Nazrul Islam, Jamilur Rahman, Rtn Taslima Giash and Jesmin Ara the board members (proposed) of WASME, Bangladesh also was present in the meeting with the minister.
