The Tk 1.0 billion block allocation for women entrepreneurs has either remained unused or spent in projects other than entrepreneurship development in the budgets since the fiscal year (FY) 2012-13.
Women entrepreneurs, however, claimed that in absence of availability of information about the fund and bureaucratic tangle in getting the same, its benefit could not be enjoyed as yet.
The government introduced the special allotment following demand raised by women entrepreneurs, mainly Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), to help them with credit facilities and capacity building activities including product development and market expansion.
The BWCCI and the Association of Grassroots Women Entrepreneurs, Bangladesh (AGWEB) have been seeking the block allocation to overcome their barriers to getting collateral-free loan, scope for development of their products with diversification and value addition and market expansion at home and abroad.
The fund is now being spent through the ministry of women and children affairs (MoWCA).
Meanwhile, ministry sources said as they did not get any demand from entrepreneurs, the entire Tk 1.0 billion fund remained untouched in the first fiscal year.
However, an insignificant amount of the total fund could be spent towards the end of FY 2013-14 as the BWCCI could approve two projects.
According to the ministry of finance (MoF), 10 projects involving Tk 300 million are now under process of getting approval for the block allocation in the FY 2014-15.
Sources, however, said projects like training women drivers and creating awareness against early marriage have been included this year.
In the FY 2013-14, BWCCI got Tk 50 million against two projects prepared for the capacity building of the women entrepreneurs and market expansion and establishment of a resource centre. These two projects are now under implementation.
In the current FY, projects remaining in the pipeline include Women Driver Training and Employment Project by Ganashastho Sangstha and Early Marriage Protection Awareness Project by Gazipur Mahila Sangtha.
President of AGWEB Mousumi Islam said due to lack of information over getting the fund, her members could not avail the benefit of the government's special allocation.
It was found that SME Foundation was not active enough to get the fund in the first two years. In the current FY, the SME Foundation has submitted a project proposal involving Tk 80 million for women entrepreneurs development in the information and communication technology.
When contacted, an official of MoWCA said as per the ministry guideline, any organisation working for women entrepreneurship development can seek fund directly or through any non-government organisation (NGO) with a proposal. The fund will be disbursed to the projects when the ministry will approve the project(s) and the Finance Division will verify it.
The official, however, admitted that the ministry does not have any information dissemination activities to make the potential entrepreneurs aware of getting the fund in time.
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