Japan International Cooperation Agency is going to disburse Tk 428 crore for the SME scheme of Bangladesh Bank, JICA and BB officials said on
Sunday at the launching ceremony of a two-month training programme for small and medium entrepreneurs.
The training course titled ‘Business Edge Training Programme’ for 500 SME entrepreneurs will be held from today to March 15 at the city’s Ruposhi Bangla Hotel.
Five hundred SMEs have been selected for the training programme from across the country through regional associations, commercials bank and non-banking financial institutions that are partner organisations of the JICA-funded Financial Sector Project for the Development of SME implemented by the BB, the speakers said.
Trainers from the International Finance Corporation and the central bank will conduct the course with special emphasis on BB SME scheme.
BB general manager and director of the JICA-financed project Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury, JICA Bangladesh Office senior representative Hiroyuki Tomita, and Regional IFC-SME Ventures coordinator Arsalan Alfred Ni spoke at the ceremony.
The training course will be replicated 20 times in Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Noakhali, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Rangpur, Bogra, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Pabna, Faridpur, Jessore, Khulna, and Barisal.
Entrepreneurs participating in the training courses can take the advantage of being linked up
with the commercial banks and NBFIs for SME loans if they fulfil the requirements, said Sukamal in his
speech.
The main focus of the credit facilities is to encourage a growth in the manufacturing sector by lending initial working capital for investment, fixed assets purchase, technical know-how, consulting services, and training to the SMEs, he added.