Experts at a workshop said Saturday Bangladesh still lacks a proper policy on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The policy should focus on SME development in the country that could not attain the desired level of progress, they said at the workshop titled 'The Role of Media in Promoting SMEs in Bangladesh' held at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA) in the capital.
European Union-funded project, Bangladesh INSPIRED Programme - Component 3, in association with Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA) and Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) organised the workshop for the economic reporters of various media houses.
The experts said Bangladesh Bank (BB) which is now promoting SME financing and other SME related issues should not continue handling these issues anymore. The central bank should leave the job with SME Foundation which is the genuine authority for doing the job, they added.
Besides, Bangladesh needs to create an environment for the students conducive to taking up business as career instead of looking for jobs. For doing so, the government should formulate a policy on promoting MSME in the country and launch a campaign to develop entrepreneurship.
Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Md Abul Quasem attended the workshop as the chief guest and distributed certificates among the journalists at the closing ceremony. Some 30 journalists from newspapers, television channels and online newspapers participated in the workshop.
It was informed in the discussion that the donors providing support for SME development in Bangladesh are now unwilling to give funds to SME Foundation largely due to their capacity constraints. So, the government must take an initiative to formulate a policy on SME alongside the industrial policy and distribute specific duties and responsibilities to different ministries and agencies.
Other than policy formulation by the industries ministry, there should have programmes to be implemented by SME Foundation and monitored by the industries ministry.
The workshop was organised aiming to enhance the capacity of journalists to report on SME related issues including the scope of SME in Bangladesh and the contribution of SME to country's economic development.
The daylong workshop discussed on how the SME business runs in the country, the challenges that small and medium entrepreneurs face in running their business and the way forward.
Bangladesh INSPIRED-Component-3 Team Leader Ali Sabet, former General Manager of Bangladesh Bank and Head of SME Division Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury and Bangladesh Bank Deputy General Manager Ashraful Alam conducted the workshop.
msshova@gmail.com
