Shahriar for boosting micro-financing

RAJSHAHI, Jan 7 (BSS): State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has called for boosting micro-financing for the sake of improving the living and livelihood condition of the poor and marginal groups of people both in rural and urban areas.

He was addressing a regional conference titled "Role of Micro Financial Institutions in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" at the conference room of BRAC Learning Centre in the city as the Chief Guest.

The Credit and Development Forum (CDF) organised the event marking its silver jubilee for bankers, officials concerned and NGOs executives and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) involved with micro-credit activities in Rajshahi region.

With CDF Chairman Emranul Haque Chowdhury in the chair, Executive Vice- chairman of Microcredit Regulatory Authority Amalendu Mukherjee, CDF Executive Director Abdul Awal and its Governing Body Member Shib Narayan Kairy also spoke.

During his keynote presentation, Dewan Alamgir, Microenterprise and Microfinance Specialist, narrated objectives of the conference and informed about updates of the CDF activities.

Shahriar Alam said collective efforts of the GO-NGO-MFIs are essential for mainstreaming the backward people to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"We need an integrated development approach involving local public representatives, experts, academicians, GO-NGOs and MFIs for reducing the prevailing backwardness in all indexes of development in the region," he added.

State Minister Alam said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave a constitution soon after independence keeping provision for working for socially backward people to build a 'Sonar Bangla' free from discrimination.

"Integrated efforts of GO-NGOs and MFIs can bring the socially backward people out of the vicious cycle of poverty to attain the SDGs by 2030," he said and called upon the NGOs and MFIs for conducting micro finance activities ensuring transparency.