Business Desk :
Speakers at a webinar on Saturday disclosed their observation that the disbursement of two government incentive packages for the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) sector was being hampered due to a lack of required documents.
“CMSME entrepreneurs sometimes face difficulties in getting loans due to a lack of required documents, a complicated disbursement process, not having a bank account, poor relations between banks and entrepreneurs, collateral issues, and a lack of database,” Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman told the webinar. The webinar titled “Procedures and preparedness of getting loan from stimulus package from banks” was organised by the DCCI.
Rizwan also called for easy and faster implementation of loan disbursement for the revival of CMSMEs.
“Loan disbursement under stimulus in urban areas is quite satisfactory but is not up to the mark in remote areas,” Bangladesh Bank General Manager Md Jaker Hossain said.
As part of the first phase of the stimulus, Tk 15,500 crore has already been disbursed and in the second, Tk 6,217 crore has been disbursed until February 9, which is 31 per cent of the allocation in the second phase.
There might have been some misconceptions among bankers and entrepreneurs at the field level that hindered disbursement, Jaker added.
He requested loan seekers to maintain proper documents and cooperate with banks to get loans faster. He also requested bankers not to harass loan seekers without any reason.
Islami Bank Executive Vice President Rafiqul Islam said, “A minimum set of documents are needed to get CMSME loans as banks have to comply with financial transparency.”
He requested loan seekers to maintain the consistency and coherence of submitted documents. He also said digitalisation of all services would help the process a lot.
Banks are ready and very willing to disburse loans, but the number of proposals is not very remarkable, he mentioned.
