Business Desk :
Former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman said that Bangladesh has been recently praised for its innovative financial inclusion strategy and the central bank of the country, has spearheaded some innovative financing models for SMEs which have given tremendous positive boost to new and small entrepreneurship, said a press release on Wednesday.
He made a keynote presentation on Wednesday at a “Workshop on small and medium enterprises’ access to finance and the role of development banks in Asia and the Pacific and Latin America” jointly organized by UNESCAP, CIFC, ECLAC, AFI, The Asia Foundation and ADB. The event was held at the United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok in Thailand. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion participated by Tiebtip Subhanji of ESCAP, Dr. Abu Eusuf, Professor of Dhaka University, SM Mundra, Former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Shigehiro Shinozaki of ADB and Raul Hopkins of Agricultural Bank, Peru.
Dr. Atiur said that Bangladesh has fostered the concept of broader role for the banking sector. The central bank has been working relentlessly during recent years with a view to bring motivational change amongst bankers and others involved in the financial sector for inclusive finance.Emphasis has been on channelizing funds to the ground, diversifying delivery channels, and developing innovative financial products.While discussing achievements regarding SME financing in Bangladesh, Dr. Atiur pointed out that in between 2011 and 2016, cumulative disbursed amount to cottage, micro and SME(CMSME)has tripled (from almost 54 thousand crore to over 140 thousand crore BDT). During the same period credit to women CMSMEs has more than doubled (from over 2 thousand crore to over 5 thousand crore BDT). The bank-MFI linkage program in Bangladesh is a good example of innovative financing model added Dr. Atiur. Today loans from commercial banks is the largest source of external funding for 199 MFIs in Bangladesh. The sharecroppers’ credit program initiated by the central bank in partnership with the largest NGO of the world is another good example of bank-MFI linkage program. Bangladesh Bank has channeled BDT 6 billion to BRAC for this purpose, and the program has so far covered 319 thousand sharecroppers from 46 districts.
Former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman said that Bangladesh has been recently praised for its innovative financial inclusion strategy and the central bank of the country, has spearheaded some innovative financing models for SMEs which have given tremendous positive boost to new and small entrepreneurship, said a press release on Wednesday.
He made a keynote presentation on Wednesday at a “Workshop on small and medium enterprises’ access to finance and the role of development banks in Asia and the Pacific and Latin America” jointly organized by UNESCAP, CIFC, ECLAC, AFI, The Asia Foundation and ADB. The event was held at the United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok in Thailand. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion participated by Tiebtip Subhanji of ESCAP, Dr. Abu Eusuf, Professor of Dhaka University, SM Mundra, Former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Shigehiro Shinozaki of ADB and Raul Hopkins of Agricultural Bank, Peru.
Dr. Atiur said that Bangladesh has fostered the concept of broader role for the banking sector. The central bank has been working relentlessly during recent years with a view to bring motivational change amongst bankers and others involved in the financial sector for inclusive finance.Emphasis has been on channelizing funds to the ground, diversifying delivery channels, and developing innovative financial products.While discussing achievements regarding SME financing in Bangladesh, Dr. Atiur pointed out that in between 2011 and 2016, cumulative disbursed amount to cottage, micro and SME(CMSME)has tripled (from almost 54 thousand crore to over 140 thousand crore BDT). During the same period credit to women CMSMEs has more than doubled (from over 2 thousand crore to over 5 thousand crore BDT). The bank-MFI linkage program in Bangladesh is a good example of innovative financing model added Dr. Atiur. Today loans from commercial banks is the largest source of external funding for 199 MFIs in Bangladesh. The sharecroppers’ credit program initiated by the central bank in partnership with the largest NGO of the world is another good example of bank-MFI linkage program. Bangladesh Bank has channeled BDT 6 billion to BRAC for this purpose, and the program has so far covered 319 thousand sharecroppers from 46 districts.
