Need for green banking, SME financing stressed

RAJSHAHI, Aug 16 (BSS) : Senior bankers at a workshop here Sunday asked the field level officers and others concerned to promote and expedite the green banking and financing activities towards Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for promoting eco-friendly banking practices alongside bolstering the economy both in rural and urban areas.
They mentioned that green banking is defined as promoting eco-friendly banking practices and reducing emitted carbon mark from banking activities.
Green Banking mainly focuses on two prolonged approaches.
As the SME sector is labour-intensive so its successful promotion could be the effective means of alleviating poverty, generating employment and thereby accelerating economic growth, they added.
The branch level bankers have a vital role towards successful promotion of the two sectors and they should take the responsibility of infusing dynamism in this regard, the discussants mentioned.
Pubali Bank Limited (PBL) organised the workshop styled "Green Banking and SME Financing" for its branch heads and other officials concerned in the region held at a Chinese restaurant in the city Sunday.
General Manager of Bangladesh Bank Sheikh Abdullah and General Manager (Loan Sanction) of PBL Habibur Rahman addressed the opening session as chief and special guests respectively with Md Kamruzzaman, Regional Head of PBL, in the chair.
In fact, Green Banking practices in the country are on the rise. Banks have profound impact on the harmonisation process of environmental imbalance.