Salt farmers to get soft loans

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has asked the commercial banks to provide concessional loans to the salt farmers in the upcoming season beginning in November.
The interest rate will be 4.0 per cent and the banks will be entitled to reimburse their losses in interest income from the government through the central bank, said a circular issued on Sunday.
The landowners and sharecroppers will be eligible for the loans.
The salt growers of the coastal belts will get a loan of Tk 153,500 per acre - polythene cost Tk 17,000, water lifting cost Tk 10,000, wages Tk 66,500, land rent Tk 50,000, embankment and miscellaneous Tk 10,000.
The loan disbursement would continue for seven months until May next while the repayment period is 12 months from the date of disbursements.

jaimharoon@yahoo.com