Home ›› 10 Feb 2023 ›› News
SME Foundation has planned to train about 100 entrepreneurs every year to help them carry out all the activities relating to the whole export process.
“Despite huge opportunities, most entrepreneurs depend on other enterprises for exporting their products and many entrepreneurs do not know how to export their products. So, such training programme will help them tremendously,” said Dr Md Mafizur Rahman, Managing Director of SME Foundation.
“We will take an inclusive action plan for finishing the task. It will include all related organisations, involved with export, from the initial pace to the final stage,’’ he added.
SME Foundation has been working to create a business-friendly environment for SME entrepreneurs in the country despite facing various obstacles.
He also expressed the hope that this initiative will help the CMSME entrepreneurs enhance their financial capability as well as enrich the export basket of the country.
The selection process
The managing director said they will first invite the CMSME entrepreneurs who are making diversified products, especially jute products, leather goods, handicraft products, light engineering products, artificial jewellery, pottery items and natural food products.
Later, the authority concerned will scrutinise the entrepreneurs and their products, considering the issues of potentiality, demand, and quality. And 100 entrepreneurs will be selected through group discussion.
SME Foundation will arrange a three-month training programme where these selected entrepreneurs will get training on LC (letter of credit) opening to export payment.
Later, the training programme will be conducted by the entrepreneurs who have already gained practical knowledge about export of goods apart from industry ministry officials, representatives of the Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh Bank, and other related organisations.
There will have four groups comprising 25 entrepreneurs each. An entrepreneur will have to pay a nominal fee of a maximum of Tk 1,000 for taking part in the training programme.
Potential of CMSMEs
CMSME entrepreneurs are making environment-friendly products, and there has a huge potential for exporting their products, according to experts.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are an essential part of a dynamic and healthy economy, exclusive development of the industry of any country also depends on CMSME development, they said.
As entrepreneurs face hassle while exporting products, this initiative will help CMSME entrepreneurs reach their export target, said Md Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon, president of National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh.
According to the latest Economic Census 2013, the total number of CMSMEs was 7,813,315 and the total number of people involved in this sector was 21,033,994. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the contribution of the manufacturing sector, which includes cottage, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, to GDP was 24.45 per cent in FY22.
But the contribution of the SME sector to GDP growth was about 30.4 per cent, according to the Bangladesh Bank research 2022.
