"Small loans of Tk. 5,000 and 10,000 make a recipient insolvent from the very beginning as such small credits do not allow implementation of any viable initiative," he said.

He made these observations while he was inaugurating a seminar on "Necessity of Micro-Credit in Checking Violence against Women" organised by Jatiya Mahila Sangstha at its premises here.

Saifur, however, appreciated micro-credit for its positive role in initiating any income-generating project but suggested that such move should be backed by bigger loans of at least Tk. 50,000.

Minister for Women and Children Affairs Khurshid Jahan Huq and Secretary of the ministry M M Reza-e-Rabbi also spoke on the occasion with Sangstha Chairperson Begum Masuda Hossain in the chair.

Saifur termed education as vital to enhance efficiency and skill of the women to bring them to the mainstream of development in all key sectors. Government's initiative to spread education among the women has been proved successful as it has brought momentum in the process of empowering women, he said.

He, however, said the process of women empowerment should continue by harmonising it with the existing traditional and social values of the society, where they were playing a vital role to bring up their children in a healthy way. "I am 1000 per cent in favour of taking more stern actions against dowry and acid throwing," he said.

The finance minister said it is very unfortunate to see that in our country a kind of psychological menace has been created in a section of the people, who are throwing acid upon the women. "They are doing it as repression on women has turned into a disease," he said.

He assured the Sangstha of supporting its women empowerment initiatives and said he could increase the credit amount from the present. Tk. 15 crore to Tk. 25 crore for implementing the Sangstha's programmes to further develop the women business entrepreneurship.

The finance minister said the government had in fact taken up pro-poor, pro-women and pro-environment approaches to implement development initiatives.

Khurshid Jahan Huq also underlined the need for making provisions of increased loans to fund the programmes for developing the women business entrepreneurs.

"The government has taken up multifarious programmes to ensure the participation of women in the mainstream development activities," she said.

The Minister said the women community representing 50 per cent of the total population should be ensured due economic benefits for their contribution towards the overall socio-economic development.

"Especially, the rural women work from the sun rise to the sun set in carrying out development works both for their families and the society but they do not get proper financial support," she said.

Khurshid Jahan Huq said the women should get their due recognition both financially and socially for the contribution they were making to build the nation. "The women entrepreneurs need market access for selling their products and it will make them successful as business women," she said.

The inaugural function was also addressed by a number of women entrepreneurs, who had set up their enterprises with support from the Sangstha.

Later, the finance minister distributed cheques against credit sanctioned to women entrepreneurs by the Sangstha.