FE Report
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said Friday the government would bring all the small and medium non-formal business entities scattered across the country under one unified structure.
"The real number of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) is much higher…. they are scattered across the country…the government would bring them under one unified structure," he said.
The minister was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the third 'National SME Fair-2014' as the chief guest at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (Media Bazaar) in the city.
Industries Secretary M Moinuddin Abdullah and SME Foundation General Manager M Mujibur Rahman also spoke on the occasion with SME Foundation Managing Director Dr Syed M Ehsanul Karim in the chair.
The SME Foundation is hosting the five-day fair that will remain open for all from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm until April 8.
The minister asked officials of the SME Foundation to take innovative programmes for raising the capacity of small and medium entrepreneurs in the country.
"SME Foundation should play a catalytic role in addressing any problem of SMEs. I hope the foundation will take necessary steps to this end," he said.
Amir Hossain Amu said the entrepreneurs engaged in country's small and cottage industries are key instruments for building a prosperous Bangladesh. "The innovative ideas and techniques of the entrepreneurs will have to be utilised fully for rapid industrialisation," he said.
Mentioning Bangladesh's continuous economic progress despite various hurdles, Amu said the international community is recognising Bangladesh as a 'role model of development'.
"Though many developed countries are on the path of negative growth due to global economic slowdown, Bangladesh is in discussion globally as a role model for development maintaining steady economic growth," he said.
Referring to Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen and other economists, Amu said they have already identified Bangladesh as a rising economic power in the South-East Asian region.
The industries minister said the present government is working to build a prosperous nation aiming to achieve the goal of the country's independence and the small and cottage entrepreneurs can play an important role in achieving the goal.
Amu described the SME sector as the driving force of the economy and said country's 90 per cent businesses are SMEs and contribution of the SMEs to the industrial sector stood at 25 per cent.
He said Bangladeshi small and medium entrepreneurs can export many things if they are provided with necessary policy support.
"Bangladesh can export many things starting from 'shitol pati' (traditional mat) by providing training to the entrepreneurs especially women. But the reality is that participation of women in industrialisation is still less as only over one per cent women are now representing the businesses in the country," he said.
Moinuddin Abdullah said the SME Fair is a get-together of rural SME entrepreneurs.
The government plans to amend the Industry Policy-2010 to make it time-befitting to give a big boost to industrialisation, he said.
The industries secretary said steps would be taken to resolve various problems of the SME sector including high interest rates, lack of adequate financing and marketing.
The government will seek feedback from the SME entrepreneurs to do so, he said.
Dr Syed Ihsanul Karim said the country has now three million unemployed people. So, he said, there is no alternative to massive industrialisation to create large-scale employment.
He said the foundation will take more inclusive plans to create women entrepreneurs in the country.
A number of SMEs of agriculture, agro-processing products, clothing, home textile, handicraft, leather, light engineering, foods, beverage, electrical and electronics, herbal and furniture sectors from across the country are participating in the fair.
