Describing the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector as the driving force of Bangladesh’s economy, Financial Advisor Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed said that due to lack of policy support, this sector is not able to make the desired contribution to the gross domestic product or GDP of Bangladesh. Therefore, the government will support the SME Foundation in developing SME entrepreneurs, including creating a database.
The Financial Advisor said these things at the SME Foundation-ERF Media Award 2025 distribution ceremony on Wednesday (July 02, 2025). SME Foundation Chairperson Md. Musfiqur Rahman presided over the ceremony, with SME Foundation Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury as the special guest.
Economic Reporters Forum-ERF President Daulat Akhter Mala delivered the welcome speech at the ceremony. SME Foundation General Manager Mohammad Jahangir Hossain delivered the welcome speech.
The Financial Advisor said that the biggest crisis of SME entrepreneurs is financing. Therefore, bankers need a positive mindset to increase loan distribution among SME entrepreneurs. Expressing satisfaction that the repayment of loans distributed among SME entrepreneurs under the SME Foundation’s credit wholesale program is almost 100 percent, the Financial Advisor said that if necessary, the amount of loan distribution through the SME Foundation can be increased. In addition, the Financial Advisor announced that some important reforms in the financial sector will be completed by December.
SME Foundation Chairperson Md. Musfiqur Rahman said that since its establishment, the SME Foundation has provided services directly and indirectly to about 2 million entrepreneurs, of whom more than 2.5 million are direct beneficiaries and 55% are women entrepreneurs. SME Foundation has distributed about 110 crore taka to about 11,000 entrepreneurs through the credit wholesale program in 2009, at low interest rates, to SME clusters, priority sectors, small and medium entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs across the country. However, this number is very insignificant compared to the 11.8 million entrepreneurs in the country, he said, saying that due to the financial constraints of the foundation, it is not possible to fulfill all the needs of entrepreneurs 100 percent. In this regard, the government needs kind attention and support to increase the capacity of the SME Foundation.
SME Foundation Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury said that since its establishment, the SME Foundation has been working to develop the skills of new entrepreneurs and existing entrepreneurs with limited capacity. However, it is necessary to build a permanent infrastructure for the SME Foundation to bring its services to more entrepreneurs.
For the first time, 21 economic reporters from newspapers, television and online newspapers of the country have received the SME Foundation-ERF Media Award 2025.
