SME Foundation to give women entrepreneurs easy access to loan
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Monira Munni
The SME Foundation will provide women entrepreneurs easy access to business loan without showing any collateral aiming at empowering them.
"We will take necessary steps to remove the hurdles placed on the way of small and medium entrepreneurs," Aftab-ul-Islam, chairman of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Foundation said.
There are many banks still unwilling to deal with the SME entrepreneurs, driven by a common misunderstanding that they might fail to refund the loans.
This is high time to change the attitude toward the SMEs and help them grow to transform the economic status of the country, he explained.
He was speaking at a discussion meeting held Monday at his office with a seven member delegation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB).
The foundation was trying to raise a handsome fund from other sources as well to start a credit package programme for financial support to small entreprenerus, he added.
"A SME financing fair will be held in Khulna on December 8 with a view to make our dream a success," the chairman said.
An easy access to business loan without the requirement of any collateral was necessary for the empowerment of women entrepreneurs and creating employment, Nasrin Fatema Awal, founder chairperson of WEAB said.
A majority of the small and medium industry women entrepreneurs belong to the lower middle class.
They are hard-workers, innovators and challenge-takers, but they do not get funds from commercial banks due to their inability to provide collaterals, she added.
She demanded freedom to execute their own plans and ensure financial assistance from the SME Foundation to develop the country as well as the economy.
Nurul Quadir, deputy general manager of SME Foundation, Rehana Rahman, president of WEAB and its secretary general Hena Khan, vice president Jahan Ara Ansari, among others, were present at the meeting.
The SME Foundation will provide women entrepreneurs easy access to business loan without showing any collateral aiming at empowering them.
"We will take necessary steps to remove the hurdles placed on the way of small and medium entrepreneurs," Aftab-ul-Islam, chairman of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Foundation said.
There are many banks still unwilling to deal with the SME entrepreneurs, driven by a common misunderstanding that they might fail to refund the loans.
This is high time to change the attitude toward the SMEs and help them grow to transform the economic status of the country, he explained.
He was speaking at a discussion meeting held Monday at his office with a seven member delegation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB).
The foundation was trying to raise a handsome fund from other sources as well to start a credit package programme for financial support to small entreprenerus, he added.
"A SME financing fair will be held in Khulna on December 8 with a view to make our dream a success," the chairman said.
An easy access to business loan without the requirement of any collateral was necessary for the empowerment of women entrepreneurs and creating employment, Nasrin Fatema Awal, founder chairperson of WEAB said.
A majority of the small and medium industry women entrepreneurs belong to the lower middle class.
They are hard-workers, innovators and challenge-takers, but they do not get funds from commercial banks due to their inability to provide collaterals, she added.
She demanded freedom to execute their own plans and ensure financial assistance from the SME Foundation to develop the country as well as the economy.
Nurul Quadir, deputy general manager of SME Foundation, Rehana Rahman, president of WEAB and its secretary general Hena Khan, vice president Jahan Ara Ansari, among others, were present at the meeting.