Nojibur terms SMEs as driving force of economy

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DHAKA, April 18, 2019 (BSS0 – Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nojibur
Rahman has termed the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a driving force
for economic growth.

“The SMEs have a remarkable contribution in increasing the country’s GDP
rate to 8.13 per cent,” he said while presenting a keynote paper at an event
on Wednesday.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The United Nations Colonial
Peacekeeping Force (UNCPF) organized the event ‘Spotlight of Policy:
Innovative Strategies for Financing through Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises Initiatives’ under the ‘Development for Financing (FFD) Forum’ at
UN Headquarters in New York, according to a press released received here
today. Bangladesh was co-host of the event, it said.

Referring to the various steps taken by the present government for the
development of SMEs, he said, the government had created a separate SME
Foundation for its advancement, adding initiatives have already been taken to
increase the vibrant participation of SMEs in the capital market.

He said Central Bank of Bangladesh also introduced ‘Agent Banking Scheme’
for SMEs.

Besides, a side-event of FFD was also held on the same day at the UN
Headquarter where Economic Relations’ Division (ERD) Secretary Monowar Ahmed
was present.

It was jointly organized by Bangladesh, Germany, Honduras, Malawi, and a
non-government organization named CSO Partnership for Development
Effectiveness (CPDE) aiming to make development cooperation more effective.