Economic Reporter :
The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of SME Policy 2019, aiming to ensure access to finance, technology and market for some 78 lakh SMEs in the country.
The approval came at the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office.
“The SME Policy will be implemented from 2019 to June 2024,” said Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam while briefing reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.
“There are some 78 lakh micro, small and medium industrial entities in the SME sector. And the sector’s contribution to the GDP is 25 percent,” he said.
The policy will ensure six matters for SME investors, which are access to finance, technology, innovation, market, education and training, business support services, and information, said the Cabinet Secretary.
There will be two committees — a 37-member committee headed by the Industries Minister and a 29-member committee led by the Industries Secretary-to implement the policy, the Cabinet Secretary said.
The strategic objectives of the policy include introducing guarantee fund, providing loan on soft conditions to SMEs, assisting the start-ups, making the startup process easier, provide training, loan and other facilities for women entrepreneurs, preparing data server over SMEs, promoting SMEs to set up environment-friendly industrial enterprises.
The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of SME Policy 2019, aiming to ensure access to finance, technology and market for some 78 lakh SMEs in the country.
The approval came at the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office.
“The SME Policy will be implemented from 2019 to June 2024,” said Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam while briefing reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.
“There are some 78 lakh micro, small and medium industrial entities in the SME sector. And the sector’s contribution to the GDP is 25 percent,” he said.
The policy will ensure six matters for SME investors, which are access to finance, technology, innovation, market, education and training, business support services, and information, said the Cabinet Secretary.
There will be two committees — a 37-member committee headed by the Industries Minister and a 29-member committee led by the Industries Secretary-to implement the policy, the Cabinet Secretary said.
The strategic objectives of the policy include introducing guarantee fund, providing loan on soft conditions to SMEs, assisting the start-ups, making the startup process easier, provide training, loan and other facilities for women entrepreneurs, preparing data server over SMEs, promoting SMEs to set up environment-friendly industrial enterprises.
