PHOTO: VISA

Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, managing director of SME Foundation, and Sabbir Ahmed, country manager for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan at Visa, pose for photographs while signing a three-year partnership agreement to support CMSMEs at the foundation’s head office in Dhaka recently.

STAR BUSINESS DESK

SME Foundation has signed a three-year partnership agreement with Visa to support the country’s some 78 lakh cottage, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (CMSMEs).

Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, managing director of the foundation, and Sabbir Ahmed, country manager for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan at Visa, penned the deal at the former’s head office in Dhaka, according to a press release.

“By integrating advanced digital payment systems, we aim to enhance financial inclusion, reduce operational costs, and drive revenue growth for SMEs,” Chowdhury said.

“Beyond payments, our focus extends to equipping SMEs with cutting-edge technologies such as business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and robust cybersecurity measures, ensuring they remain competitive and resilient in the digital age,” he added.

“Together with Visa’s expertise and our dedication to SME development, we envision creating a smarter, more secure, and sustainable business ecosystem that empowers SMEs to thrive in an ever-evolving global market.”

Ahmed said: “We are delighted to support the entrepreneurs of our country through our partnership with SME Foundation. Visa has demonstrated the power of digital transformation over decades and we are happy to bring our global expertise to the vibrant SME community.

“Our financial and digital skills programmes can enable entrepreneurs to integrate technology faster, gain global market access and revolutionise businesses,” he added.

With this partnership, Visa and the SME Foundation aim to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses to develop their capabilities using Visa’s expert content on financial and business skills.