They were speaking at a pre-budget roundtable titled Micro-finance for Poverty Alleviation and Budget 2003-04 organised by Credit and Development Forum (CDF), a forum for micro-financing organisations in Bangladesh, at the LGED conference room in Dhaka yesterday.

"Implementation of budget depends on the efficiency of the home ministry. It also depends on stable law and order," said Mosharraf Hossain, treasurer of the CDF.

Representatives of 30 different NGOs, researchers, donor representatives and business leaders attended the discussion which was also attended by State Minister for Finance and Planning Major General (Rtd) Anwarul Kabir Talukder. Eminent economist Atiur Rahman moderated the discussion.

The speakers focused on fund crisis for small and medium NGOs. Their demands include allocation of Tk 1500 crore for a period of three years in the forthcoming budget, to keep NGOs out from the tax net and specialised micro-finance and micro-enterprise bank (MMB) for NGOs.

Speaking at the discussion, Talukder assured the NGOs no tax would be imposed on the NGO activities in the forthcoming budget.

CDF Executive Director Md Abdur Rouf Bhuiyan proposed making it mandatory on commercial banks to disburse 10 per cent of their loan portfolio to NGOs for micro credit financing.

Imran Matin of BRAC said it is not possible for one individual or one institution to alleviate poverty. "Everyone including government, NGOs, governmental institutions should work together for this purpose."

Economist Atiur Rahman said the micro-finance sector should be treated with due importance in the budget. "It should be recognised as a sub sector in the budget and interest should be seven per cent for micro-finance sector like the garment sector."