Govt-owned, specialised banks to disburse Tk 13b in Sidr-hit areas
Monday, 3 December 2007
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed Sunday advised the branch officers of different commercial banks operating in the Sidr-hit areas of Barisal to provide banking support for quick resumption of economic activities, reports UNB.
"Do whatever you can to rejuvenate the economic activities," he told the bankers at a meeting at the central bank's Barisal office. The government-owned and specialised commercial banks have set a loan disbursement target of Tk 13.0 billion (1,300 crore) in the affected areas while the private banks would set their targets later, he told the news agency. He asked the government-owned banks to disburse 70-80 per cent of the target by December-January period as he told them that only setting the target would not work unless it is disbursed timely.
He also had meetings with Bangladesh Bank executives as well as local businessmen to have their views on how to rejuvenate the economic activities hit hard by the cyclone Sidr.
Bangladesh Bank executive director Khandkar Mazharul Huq accompanied the Governor during the visit.
The Governor is also scheduled to visit Khulna Tuesday to have meetings with the bankers and businessmen there.
He gave assurance in the meetings in Barisal that he would have meetings with top bankers, particularly of the private banks, upon his return from Khulna to discuss and solve the problems local bankers were facing due to a lack of proper guidelines from their respective banks. On his way back from Barisal, the Governor told the news agency on phone that he called upon the bankers to give easy-term loans to the farmers, fishermen, timber traders and small businesses, and provide house rebuilding facilities for the affected people.
The private banks and NGOs would contribute to the economic loss recovery process as they assured the Governor during the meetings, he said.
Amid allegations from the local businessmen and journalists, Salehuddin advised the local bankers to visit the affected areas to assess the needs of the affected people and design their lending programmes.The businessmen sought the central bank intervention to arrange soft-term loans and stop repayment of earlier loans to help restart their businesses.
Earlier, Bangladesh Bank's Barisal and Khulna offices convened two meetings to review the situation on November 25. The meetings observed that the commercial banks have no guidelines and budgets to provide loans to fishermen.The bankers at the meetings sought immediate guidelines in this regard either from the Bangladesh Bank or the government. The bankers of Barisal and Khulna regions apprised the preparatory meeting that the commercial banks had never any lending programmes or budgets for the fishermen.
"Do whatever you can to rejuvenate the economic activities," he told the bankers at a meeting at the central bank's Barisal office. The government-owned and specialised commercial banks have set a loan disbursement target of Tk 13.0 billion (1,300 crore) in the affected areas while the private banks would set their targets later, he told the news agency. He asked the government-owned banks to disburse 70-80 per cent of the target by December-January period as he told them that only setting the target would not work unless it is disbursed timely.
He also had meetings with Bangladesh Bank executives as well as local businessmen to have their views on how to rejuvenate the economic activities hit hard by the cyclone Sidr.
Bangladesh Bank executive director Khandkar Mazharul Huq accompanied the Governor during the visit.
The Governor is also scheduled to visit Khulna Tuesday to have meetings with the bankers and businessmen there.
He gave assurance in the meetings in Barisal that he would have meetings with top bankers, particularly of the private banks, upon his return from Khulna to discuss and solve the problems local bankers were facing due to a lack of proper guidelines from their respective banks. On his way back from Barisal, the Governor told the news agency on phone that he called upon the bankers to give easy-term loans to the farmers, fishermen, timber traders and small businesses, and provide house rebuilding facilities for the affected people.
The private banks and NGOs would contribute to the economic loss recovery process as they assured the Governor during the meetings, he said.
Amid allegations from the local businessmen and journalists, Salehuddin advised the local bankers to visit the affected areas to assess the needs of the affected people and design their lending programmes.The businessmen sought the central bank intervention to arrange soft-term loans and stop repayment of earlier loans to help restart their businesses.
Earlier, Bangladesh Bank's Barisal and Khulna offices convened two meetings to review the situation on November 25. The meetings observed that the commercial banks have no guidelines and budgets to provide loans to fishermen.The bankers at the meetings sought immediate guidelines in this regard either from the Bangladesh Bank or the government. The bankers of Barisal and Khulna regions apprised the preparatory meeting that the commercial banks had never any lending programmes or budgets for the fishermen.