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Muhith advises women entrepreneurs to take up good projects

Star Business Report
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday asked women entrepreneurs to prepare good projects to make proper use of funds allocated for them in the national budget this fiscal year.
He said the government allocated a Tk 100-crore fund for the development of women entrepreneurs in the budget for 2012-13. “Now you (women entrepreneurs) have to develop good projects for its proper use," he said at a seminar in the capital.
He said the government will keep the fund intact for women entrepreneurs after the current fiscal year if it remains unused.
Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) organised the national seminar on "A pathway towards women entrepreneurs' development in Bangladesh" at Cirdap auditorium in cooperation with the Centre for International Private Enterprise.
Muhith said the allotted fund will be used through different ministries but the Ministry of Women And Children Affairs will be especially responsible for this.
The minister said around 30 percent of Bangladesh' workforce is now women, which was only 7 percent 23 years ago.
He lauded the role of Grameen Bank and BRAC for such women empowerment in the country. "Our Grameen Bank has given voice to women wonderfully. Contribution of BRAC is also unique."
He also talked about the readymade sector where the highest number of women workers is employed.
“The fund should be used only for capacity building of women entrepreneurs but not for any credit,” said Selima Ahmad, founder president of BWCCI.
She said the country registered 0.33 percent growth in SME loan disbursement last fiscal year, where credit disbursement for
women entrepreneurs logged 13.49 percent growth.
But absence of specific business policy for women entrepreneurs hinders their progress, she said.
So the chamber urged the government to develop a comprehensive business policy for such entrepreneurs, as they have been making significant contribution in the economy for the last couple of years.
She said the fund could be used to expand existing markets, establish information centres and training institutes in divisional cities and run nationwide comprehensive surveyfor women entrepreneurs.
The fund could also be used to include more educated rural women into ICT-based business, implement a gender sensitisation training programme for the officials of banking and non-banking financial institutions, according to Selima.
She also proposed to manage the fund through an advisory board and a divisional women enterprise fund committee.