Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said the government had been encouraging private sector initiatives in setting up small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at the BSCIC industrial estates and industrial parks throughout the country, reports BSS.

"We have already BSCIC estates at thana level and the present government Is establishing Industrial parks for SMEs under the private sector initiatives." he said while replying to a question and supplementary' from Sheikh Mohammad Nurul Huq of AL from Khulna in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday.

He said the government would help get bank loans and develop infrastructural facilities in setting up SME units either in the BSCIC estate or in any Industrial parks. But the

government will not conduct any such SME on its own. he told the Sangsad while replying to another supplementary from MS Akbar of AL from Magura.

Rafiqul Anwar of AL from Chittagong sought to know about the current expansion of industries in the port city and the Minister said the government was helping expansion of industries in Chittagong as per the wishes of the people there.

"In each industrial estate in Chittagong different SMEs have been developed and we are helping their expansion as per the wishes of the people of this area." he told the house.

No plan to cut fertiliser prices

UNB adds: Tofail also ruled out any possibility of reducing the prices of fertiliser.

Replying to All Reza Raju of Awami League, who wanted to know in Parliament If the government has any plan to slash the prices of chemical fertilisers by 20 per cent, the minister replied the negative.

Replying to a question appearing in the name of Zafrul Islam Chowdhury' (BNP-Chlt-tagong). Tofail said the BSCIC has been implementing a project. 'Salt Industry' Development, Cox's Bazar", since 1961 by providing technical consultancy and loan to salt producers in onshore areas, and facilitating transportation.

He said BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation) has been implementing another pilot project in Khulna and Satkhtra areas since 1993 for commercial production of salt.