SME Foundation disburses over Tk1,000cr in loans to nearly 11,000 entrepreneurs
Since its inception 18 years ago, the SME Foundation has directly benefited around 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs, while an estimated 20 lakh have benefited indirectly
More than Tk1,000 crore in loans have been disbursed to nearly 11,000 entrepreneurs across the country under the Credit Wholesaling Programme of the SME Foundation.
The SME Foundation shared the data at a stakeholder meeting held at the Parjatan Corporation in Dhaka's Agargaon today (30 April) aimed at formulating the foundation's five-year action plan, reads a press release.
Since its inception 18 years ago, the SME Foundation has directly benefited around 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs, while an estimated 20 lakh have benefited indirectly.
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The meeting was presided over by SME Foundation Chairperson Md Musfiqur Rahman.
The foundation also disclosed that it has organised 11 national and 91 regional and divisional SME product fairs to support market access for SME products.
Furthermore, 177 SME clusters across the country have been identified for targeted development initiatives. A common facility center (CFC) has been established in one of these clusters.
So far, 57 entrepreneurs have received the National SME Entrepreneur Award.
Despite these efforts, the initiatives remain insufficient when compared to the over 11.8 million CMSMEs in Bangladesh, prompting speakers to call for greater government support and expansion of the SME Foundation's operations.
Chairperson Musfiqur Rahman highlighted that the SME Policy 2025 will soon be finalised with inputs from stakeholders and under the patronage of the Ministry of Industries, with a focus on protecting the interests of the SME sector and its entrepreneurs.
Representatives from various ministries, government departments, trade bodies, associations, chambers, clusters, academia, financial institutions, fintechs, development partners, and entrepreneurs participated in the meeting and provided key inputs for the Foundation's upcoming five-year plan.
Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, General Manager Md Abdus Salam Sardar, and NBR Member (VAT Implementation & IT) Mohammad Belal Hossain Chowdhury also spoke at the event.
