ZCZC
BSS-33
DCCI-SME-BANK
DCCI for separate SME bank
DHAKA, April 1, 2019 (BSS) – Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) today made a demand to set up separate bank for the flourishing of country’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).
The trade body also requested the government to cut electricity bill and duty for local SME factories as well as impose additional duty on the imported small industry items to protect the growth of homemade products.
DCCI newly elected leaders placed the demands to the Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun during a meeting at his secretariat office.
DCCI President Osama Taseer advocated for allowing back to back LC for industries which are getting priority like RMG sector.
He said in fiscal 2017-18, foreign direct investment in Bangladesh increased 5.12 percent and reached to $ 2.58 billion though the investment worldwide reduced at 23 percent.
Taseer proposed to form “FDI Development Task Force” in order to attract FDI especially in agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, leather, light engineering, and jute and jute goods sectors.
Mentioning that in 2018 credit flow to SME sector decreased by 1.42 percent than the previous year, He demanded easy financing to SME making it a single digit interest rate to cope up with competition in international market.
The industries minister said SMEs are contributing a lot to the economic development as well as creation of employment opportunities. That is why government is committed to facilitate businesses, he added.
Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun urged the business community to come up confidently to invest more in various potential sectors.
He laid emphasis on skill development of SME, product diversification and new market exploration, protection for SMEs and single digit interest rate for SMEs. “Government is committed to solving any problem of the business community on a priority basis.”
DCCI Senior Vice President Waqar Ahmad Choudhury, Vice President Imran Ahmed, Directors Andaleeb Hasan, Ashraf Ahmed, Alhaj Deen Mohammed, Enamul Haque Patwary, Hossain A Sikder, Md. Rashedul Karim Munna, Nuher L. Khan and S.M. Zillur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.
BSS/MAK/KU/1950 HRS